Poisoning induced by administration of a phosphate-containing urinary acidifier in a cat

Signs of depression, hyperphosphatemia, azotemia, high anion gap metabolic acidosis, and renal failure developed in an adult cat following administration of an excessive dose of a phosphate-containing urinary acidifier. After extracellular fluid volume expansion, diuresis, and administration of a phosphate binder, serum phosphorus concentration returned to normal in 12 hours; the cat recovered fully. The urinary acidifier had been given as part of treatment for a urinary tract infection. Findings suggest that phosphate-containing urinary acidifiers should be administered cautiously because, like other sources of phosphate, they are capable of causing life-threatening metabolic disturbances.