title: Hyperascorbaemia in dogs admitted to a teaching hospital intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether or not dogs develop a deficiency of ascorbic acid during hospitalisation in an intensive care unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were collected daily for up to three days from dogs hospitalised in an intensive care unit for 36 to 72 hours (n = 16) or ê72 hours (n = 20) and from healthy dogs (n = 13). Plasma total ascorbic acid concentrations were measured using a colorimetric method involving a reaction between ascorbic acid, 2,6 dichlorophenol-indophenol, thiourea and dinitrophenyl hydrazine. Additionally, clinical data were recorded for each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dogs hospitalised for ê72 hours had significantly greater plasma ascorbic acid concentrations on day 3 compared to days 1 and 2. There was no difference in plasma ascorbic acid concentrations between days 1 and 2 for dogs hospitalised for 36 to 72 hours. Plasma ascorbic acid concentrations were significantly greater for each day of sampling for the hospitalised dogs compared to the control dogs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma ascorbic acid concentrations appear to increase during hospitalisation, and supplementation may not be indicated in dogs hospitalised in an intensive care unit.
authors.affiliation: Comparative Internal Medicine Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Groth
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Honaker
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Osterbur
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Deitschel
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Odunayo
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DeClue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D001206:Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003124:Colorimetry / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006762:Hospitals, Animal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid