Tag: ammonia

Ammonia tolerance test for diagnosis of portosystemic shunts

Mar 11, 2014

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Normal hepatic function is essential for conversion of ammonia to urea. Increasing resting ammonia concentration indicates decreased hepatic mass or shunting of portal blood. Concentrations of blood ammonia are not well correlated with severity of hepatic encephalopathy, and ammonia levels may be normal in 7% to 21% of dogs with portosystemic shunts (PSS), especially after…