Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Acquired urea cycle amino acid deficiency and hyperammonaemic encephalopathy in a cat with inflammatory bowel disease and chronic kidney disease
- Journal:
- JFMS open reports
- Year:
- 2018
- Authors:
- C. Dor et al.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male neutered Persian cat was taken to the vet after losing weight for four weeks and not eating much, along with occasional vomiting. The cat was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and inflammatory bowel disease, but even with treatment to suppress the immune system and help with feeding, it continued to refuse food and lost a lot of weight. After two more weeks, the cat suddenly showed signs of neurological problems due to a dangerous buildup of ammonia in the blood, and sadly, it was euthanized. Tests showed that the cat was lacking important amino acids needed for processing waste in the body, likely due to issues with absorbing nutrients and the kidney disease. This case highlights how crucial these amino acids are for cats and suggests that they may need extra support when they are losing weight despite being fed properly.
Abstract
Case summary A 5-year-old male neutered Persian cat was referred for investigation of a 4 week history of weight loss, inappetence and intermittent vomiting. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and inflammatory bowel disease were diagnosed, and despite immunosuppressive therapy and assisted enteral nutrition, the cat experienced persistent anorexia, vomiting and severe weight loss. After 2 additional weeks of treatment, the cat developed acute-onset neurological signs associated with severe hyperammonaemia and was euthanased. Plasma amino acid assessment revealed deficiency of several amino acids involved in the urea cycle, including arginine. Relevance and novel information To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an acquired urea cycle amino acid deficiency without nutritional deprivation in a cat. Several contributing factors were suspected, including intestinal malabsorption and CKD. This case demonstrates the importance of urea cycle amino acids in feline metabolism and possible necessity for parenteral supplementation, particularly in the context of persistent weight loss despite adequate enteral nutrition.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/30109117