Intravenous hypertonic saline solution (7.5%) and oral electrolytes to treat of calves with noninfectious diarrhea and metabolic acidosis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of treating osmotic diarrhea and dehydration in calves with hypertonic saline solution (HSS) IV, isotonic electrolyte solution (IES) PO, and a combination of these 2 solutions (HSS + IES).


METHODS
Eighteen male calves 8-30 days of age were used to evaluate the efficacy of 3 methods of fluid therapy after induction of osmotic diarrhea and dehydration. The diarrhea and dehydration were induced by administration of saccharose, spironolactone, and hydrochlorothiazide for 48 hours. The animals were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups: Group 1: 7.2% hypertonic saline solution-HSS (5 mL/kg IV); Group 2: oral isotonic electrolyte solution IES (60 mL/kg PO); or Group 3: HSS+IES. Clinical signs and laboratory finding observed 48 hours post-induction (Time 0) included diarrhea, dehydration, lethargy, and metabolic acidosis.


RESULTS
Calves treated with HSS + IES experienced decreases in hematocrit, total protein concentration, albumin concentration, urea nitrogen concentration, and plasma volume as well as increases in blood pH, blood bicarbonate concentration, and central venous pressure between 1 and 3 hours post-treatment. These findings also were observed in animals treated with IES, however, at a slower rate than in the HSS + IES-treated animals. Animals treated with HSS continued to display signs of dehydration, lethargy, and metabolic acidosis 24 hours post-treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with a combination of HSS and IES produced rapid and sustainable correction of hypovolemia and metabolic acidosis in calves with noninfections diarrhea and dehydration.
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, UFSM, Santa Maria, Brazil. mlizandra@smail.ufsm.br
M L R
ML
Leal
S S
SS
Fialho
F C
FC
Cyrillo
H G
HG
Bertagnon
E L
EL
Ortolani
F J
FJ
Benesi
D000138:Acidosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D010953:Plasma Volume / Q000662:veterinary; D011897:Random Allocation; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D001639:Bicarbonates; D004573:Electrolytes; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D012709:Serum Albumin