Three commercial intravenous electrolyte solutions were compared as for their effects on the blood acid-base status in dogs experimentally dehydrated by withholding water and inducing polyuria. Animals were randomly divided into three groups which were rehydrated with the following commercial electrolyte solutions during 12 hours: Lactate Ringer´s solution (RL), Ringer´s solution (RS) and a normal saline solution (0.9% sodium chloride) containing 5% dextrose (GF). The RL´s intravenous fluid therapy resulted in an alkalinizing effect demonstrated by a mild increase in arterial blood pH, ctCO2, bicarbonate (cHCO-3), and arterial blood base concentration (cBase) and, thus, can be used in animals exhibiting mild to moderate metabolic acidosis. In contrast, the RS and GF therapies led to a mild decrease in the concentration of arterial blood tritiable base (cBase) inducing an acidifying effect, which make them an option to treat dogs with metabolic alkalosis.
dogs; blood gas analysis; fluid therapy; crystalloids; dehydration
