Introduction
Physiology
- Total body water = ~67% of bodyweight, comprising intracellular fluid (67% of total) and extracellular fluid (remaining 33%).
- Plasma = 25% of the extracellular fluid.
- Circulating blood volume (plasma + red blood cells) = ~90 ml/kg bodyweight.
- Daily water requirements = ~40 ml/kg bodyweight.
- Sodium is the most common electrolyte in extracellular fluid; it is the skeleton of body water - water will not stay if sodium is not there to 'hold' it.
- Establish what is lost.
- Replace like with like (in terms of volume and type of fluid lost).
- Continue fluid and electrolyte therapy to match on-going losses.
- Establish the deficit.
- Decide which type of fluid to give.
- Decide how much to give.
- Decide how the fluid should be given.
Sources
Publications
Refereed papers
- Welsh E (2005) Body fluid balance in health and disease. UK Vet 10 (3), 37-44.
- Rentko V T et al(1996) A chemical trial of a hemoglobin based corner fluid in the treatment of anemia in dogs. JVIM 10, 177.
Other sources of information
- Broadstone R V (1999) Fluid therapy and newer blood products. Vet Clin North Am 29, 611.
- Prough D S (1996) Crystalloids versus colloids in the postoperative period. Anesthesiology Clinics of North America 14, 341.
