Metabolic Acidosis Veterinary Symptoms

Metabolic acidosis (sometimes referred to as hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis or renal tubular acidosis) is a disease that can affect both dogs and cats. The disease is commonly a result of chronic renal failure (CRF), a condition whereby your pet's kidneys grow less and less functional over time. There are two types of metabolic acidosis, referred to as distal (or type I), and proximal (or type II). Both can produce debilitating side effects, although the former is considerably worse.

  1. Drop in Bicarbonate/Rise in Ionized Hydrogen Levels

    • In both distal and proximal metabolic acidosis, your pet's bicarbonate levels will drop, while its ionized hydrogen levels will increase. The difference is that in distal acidosis the animal's body produces too much ionized hydrogen, while in proximal acidosis it is unable to absorb enough bicarbonates. According to felinecrf.com, your veterinarian, with the help of some specialized equipment, can perform a blood and gas analysis to determine your pet's bicarbonate and hydrogen levels. Another option is test a "breath" sample from your pet, as carbon dioxide output levels will often drop in conjunction with a drop in bicarbonates.

    Drop in pH Levels

    • Metabolic acidosis is also associated with a drop in an animal's pH levels, or its level of acidity versus alkalinity. You can think of pH as a number line, with acidity on the left, alkalinity on the right, and the number seven (indicating pH neutrality) right in the middle. According to vet.uga.edu, if the pH in your pet's blood falls below 7.2 (becoming more acidic), there can be severe cardiac consequences. These include cardiac arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat, and ventricular fibrillation, poor contraction of the heart.

    Bone Loss

    • According to merckvetmanual.com, metabolic acidosis---particularly the distal variety---is sometimes associated with demineralization of the skeleton, which is more commonly referred to as bone loss. This is caused by your pet's reaction to increased ionized hydrogen levels: its body tries to buffer---or inactivate---the hydrogen, and in doing so damages bone tissue.

    Kidney Stones

    • Metabolic acidosis has also been known to cause kidney stones, or nephrolithiasis. As with bone loss, this primarily occurs with the distal type of the disease. According to merckvetmanual.com, kidney stones form when excess calcium in your pet's urine solidifies.

    Obtundation

    • According to vet.uga.edu, severe and prolonged cases of metabolic acidosis may lead to obtundation, or a decrease in the mental capacity of your pet. Symptoms can include disorientation, agitation and---in general---unusual or atypical behavior. If left untreated, obtundation induced by metabolic acidosis can grow so severe your pet falls into a coma.