Ammonium Chloride
Ammonium chloride
Also known as: Uroeze · UriKare · Muriate of ammonia · Sal ammoniac
Reviewed by the VetSheet Veterinary TeamUpdated Apr 5, 2026Evidence-based veterinary reference
Doses are a clinical reference for licensed veterinary professionals. Always confirm against the current label and the individual patient.
Dosing by species
🌎 NA — North America🌍 EU — Europe
Dogs
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjunctive therapy for struvite uroliths | 20 mg/kg PO three times daily | PO | q8h | — | 🌎 NA |
| To enhance the renal elimination of certain toxins/drugs | 200 mg/kg/day divided four times daily | PO | q6h | — | 🌎 NA |
| To enhance elimination of strontium | 0.2-0.5 grams PO 3-4 times a day | PO | q6-8h | — | 🌎 NA |
| Ammonia tolerance testing (ATT) | 2 mL/kg of a 5% solution of ammonium chloride deep in the rectum, blood sampled at 20 minutes and 40 minutes; or oral challenge with ammonium chloride 100 mg/kg (maximum dose = 3 grams) either in solution: dissolved in 20-50 mL warm water or in gelatin capsules, blood sampled at 30 and 60 minutes. | Rectal/PO | Once | — | 🌎 NA |
- To enhance elimination of strontium: Used with calcium salts
Cats
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Struvite dissolution therapy if diet and antimicrobials do not result in acid urine or to help prevent idiopathic FUS in a non-obstructed cat | 20 mg/kg PO twice daily | PO | q12h | — | 🌎 NA |
| Adjunctive therapy for struvite uroliths | 20 mg/kg PO twice daily | PO | q12h | — | 🌎 NA |
Horses
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General dosing | 4-15 grams PO | PO | Unknown | — | 🌎 NA |
| Urinary acidifier | 60-520 mg/kg PO daily | PO | q24h | — | 🌎 NA |
| Urinary acidifier to enhance renal excretion of strychnine | 132 mg/kg PO | PO | Unknown | — | 🌎 NA |
- Urinary acidifier: Unpalatable; dose via stomach tube or dosing syringe
Cattle
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urolithiasis prevention | 200 mg/kg PO | PO | Unknown | — | 🌎 NA |
| Urolithiasis prevention | 15-30 grams PO | PO | Unknown | — | 🌎 NA |
Sheep
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urolithiasis prevention | 300 mg/kg PO | PO | Unknown | — | 🌎 NA |
| Urolithiasis prevention | 0.5-1% of the daily dry matter | PO | Daily | — | 🌎 NA |
- Urolithiasis prevention: Table sugar may improve palatability
Goats
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urolithiasis prevention | 300 mg/kg PO | PO | Unknown | — | 🌎 NA |
| Urolithiasis prevention | 0.5-1% of the daily dry matter | PO | Daily | — | 🌎 NA |
- Urolithiasis prevention: Table sugar may improve palatability
Doses are a clinical reference for licensed veterinary professionals. Always confirm against the current label and the individual patient.
Overview
Ammonium chloride is a systemic and urinary acidifying agent used in veterinary medicine.
- Primary Uses: Helps prevent and dissolve certain types of uroliths (e.g., struvite), enhances renal excretion of specific toxins (e.g., strontium, strychnine) or drugs (e.g., quinidine), and improves the efficacy of certain antimicrobials (like penicillins and tetracyclines) in the urinary tract.
- Metabolic Alkalosis: Can be administered intravenously for the rapid correction of severe metabolic alkalosis.
- Clinical Pearl: Due to the advent of highly effective struvite-dissolution diets (which inherently cause aciduria), ammonium chloride is now rarely recommended for feline struvite management. It remains a staple for urolith prevention in small ruminants, though dietary roughage-to-concentrate ratios can heavily influence its efficacy.
Mechanism of action
Ammonium chloride induces acidification through hepatic metabolism:
- Dissociation: In vivo, it dissociates into chloride and ammonium ions.
- Hepatic Conversion: The liver converts the ammonium cation to urea, releasing a hydrogen ion (H⁺).
- Acidification Pathway: H⁺ combines with bicarbonate → H₂O + CO₂. This depletes extracellular alkaline reserves, decreasing serum bicarbonate and lowering both blood and urine pH.
- Renal Excretion: Excess chloride ions exceed tubular reabsorption capacity and are excreted alongside cations (mainly sodium) and water, causing a mild, transient diuretic effect.
Safety & warnings
Contraindications
- Severe hepatic disease
- Uremia
- Urate calculi
- Respiratory acidosis
- Severe renal insufficiency with metabolic alkalosis secondary to vomiting
Adverse effects
- Metabolic acidosis
- Gastric irritation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Pain at injection site (IV)
- Increased risk of calcium oxalate urolith formation (cats)
Precautions
Contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic disease (ammonia may accumulate causing toxicity) and uremic patients (intensifies metabolic acidosis). Do not administer subcutaneously, rectally (except for specific ammonia tolerance testing), or intraperitoneally. Use with caution in patients with pulmonary insufficiency or cardiac edema. A high roughage/concentrate ratio diet can decrease the urine pH lowering effect in horses.
Drug interactions
Urine acidification may diminish effectiveness in treating bacterial urinary tract infections
Urine acidification may diminish effectiveness in treating bacterial urinary tract infections
Urine acidification may increase renal excretion
Monitoring
- Urine pH (goal is ≤6.5)
- Blood pH (if clinical signs of toxicity or treating metabolic alkalosis)
- Serum electrolytes (with chronic use or treating metabolic acidosis)
- Carbon dioxide combining power of serum (prior to IV use to prevent serious acidosis)
Pharmacokinetics
Absorption
Rapidly absorbed from the GI tract in humans. No specific veterinary data available.
Metabolism
The ammonium cation is converted by the liver to urea with the release of a hydrogen ion.
Elimination
Excess chloride ions are excreted by the kidneys with cations (principally sodium) and water.
Overdose
Clinical Signs: Nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, hyperventilation, bradycardia or other arrhythmias, and progressive CNS depression. Laboratory results may show profound acidosis and hypokalemia.
Treatment:
- Correct acidosis by administering sodium bicarbonate or sodium acetate intravenously.
- Treat hypokalemia using a suitable oral (if possible) potassium product.
- Perform intense, ongoing acid-base and electrolyte monitoring until the patient is stable.
Available products
Formulations
- Tablets
- Granules
- Powder (feed grade)
- Injection
Veterinary
- Ammonium Chloride Tablets: 200 mg, 400 mg (UriKare)
- Ammonium Chloride Granules: 200 mg per 1/4 teaspoonful powder (Uroeze 200, UriKare 200)
- Ammonium Chloride Granules: 400 mg per 1/4 teaspoonful powder (Uroeze, UriKare 400)
- Feed grade ammonium chloride (available from feed mills for large animals)
Human-labeled
- Ammonium Chloride Injection: 26.75% (5 mEq/mL) in 20 mL (100 mEq) vials
Regulatory status
No regulatory data for: 🇺🇸 US · 🇪🇺 EU · 🇬🇧 UK · 🇭🇰 HK · 🇹🇼 TW · 🇯🇵 JP · 🇰🇷 KR · 🇦🇺 AU
Storage & stability
Ammonium chloride for injection should be stored at room temperature; avoid freezing. At low temperatures, crystallization may occur; it may be resolubilized by warming to room temperature in a water bath.
Client information
Important: Contact your veterinarian immediately if your pet exhibits signs of nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, heavy breathing (hyperventilation), or progressive lethargy.
- Palatability: The powder form has a very bitter taste, and pets may refuse to eat their food after it is mixed in.
- Livestock Tip: For goats and sheep, adding table sugar (not molasses) may help improve palatability.
VetSheet drug reference is intended for licensed veterinary professionals as a clinical decision-support aid, not a substitute for professional judgement or the manufacturer’s current label.