ExoticRx · exoticrx.com/drugs/ammonium-chloride
Ammonium Chloride is dosed at 20 mg/kg PO q12h in cats, per Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.65, Ammonium Chloride monograph spanning p.65-66; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — figure located 2026-08-05 at Plumb's 10th ed printed p.66, Ammonium Chloride monograph; the page cited previously does not carry it. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Metabolized by liver releasing HCl and producing systemic acidification. Excreted renally as acidifying ammonium ion.
Used for metabolic alkalosis and struvite urolith prevention/dissolution. Contraindicated in hepatic insufficiency (ammonia cannot be metabolized). Monitor blood pH and electrolytes.
Species references:All Cat (Domestic) drugsAll Dog (Domestic) drugs
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A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 2 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.
| Species | Route | Dose | Frequency | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat (Domestic) | PO | 20 mg/kg | q12h | Moderate | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.65, Ammonium Chloride monograph spanning p.65-66; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — figure located 2026-08-05 at Plumb's 10th ed printed p.66, Ammonium Chloride monograph; the page cited previously does not carry it. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| Dog (Domestic) | PO | 100 mg/kg | q12h | Weak | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted), Ammonium Chloride, printed p.66 (corpus plumb p.93); corroborated by Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 5th Ed, p.37 (corpus papich p.65): 'Dogs: 100 mg/kg q12h PO' — EDITION UNVERIFIABLE 2026-08-07: this citation names Papich 5th ed, which is NOT held. Its page locator does not resolve to a page naming this drug in the held 4th ed (2016), so the reference cannot be confirmed against any copy available here. Treat the page number as unchecked and consult the 5th edition directly. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, ; Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, |
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