In reference to dogs with liver disease I found the following:
Quote:
Ammonia and Urea:
Ammonia is a by product of digestion of protein in food and the catabolism of nitrogen based organic materials in the body. Eighty per cent of ammonia is delivered to the liver and converted to urea. In patients with liver insufficiency the ammonia is not detoxified to urea, but enters the circulation to act as a central nervous system depressant.
In patients with a severely reduced liver function we may see a true intolerance of ammonia and thus neurological signs after a heavy protein meal or we may see substantially reduced urea levels. This is a late sign in liver disease, only seen after 60 to 70 per cent of the liver function is gone.
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This is why liver diseased dogs have to eat low protein diets because the ammonia will build up in their bodies and they will start circling, staggering and acting weird. I just find it hard to believe Rainbow could have liver disease but is is possible she could have the early stages of it. I just hope and pray that the tests were just wrong. We will be praying for good results.