Induced diarrhoea in horses. Part 2: Response to administration of an oral rehydration solution.
Abstract: Hydration status, electrolyte balance and acid-base balance were studied in four adult standardbred geldings with castor oil-induced diarrhoea. The horses received an oral rehydration solution (ORS) at a point when signs consistent with mild decreases in effective circulating fluid volume were first detected. Within 1.5 h of ORS administration, all horses exhibited a significant metabolic acidosis. At this time, mean values for venous blood pH, [HCO3], and standard base excess were 7.264 +/- 0.011, 17.7 +/- 0.3 mmol L-1, and -8.2 +/- 0.4 mmol L-1, respectively. Throughout the duration of the study, plasma volume did not change significantly, despite a decreasing trend, which tended to recover towards normal values 8 h after administration of the ORS. Signs of abdominal discomfort were observed in all horses following the last of three doses of ORS (8-10 L) administered at 30 min intervals. Faecal fluid sodium concentration increased significantly with diarrhoea, and reached values fourfold those in normal horses, while faecal dry matter sodium concentration increased exponentially following the onset of clinical signs. Despite this increase in sodium concentration, faecal fluid remained hypotonic at all stages. Our findings suggest that, while ORS can help restore systemic fluid balance, several factors influence their effectiveness. Two likely factors identified in this study were the ionic composition of the ORS as well as the rate of administration. We concluded that the electrolyte composition of current ORS may not be ideal to treat diarrhoea in horses and that administration of 8-10 of ORS every 30 min via nasogastric tube may result in too rapid small intestinal transit to allow sufficient time for absorption.
Publication Date: 1998-05-02 PubMed ID: 9564269DOI: 10.1016/s1090-0233(98)80012-9Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The study investigates the impact of an orally administered rehydration solution (ORS) on horses that have been induced with diarrhoea using castor oil. Findings suggest that while ORS can aid in restoring fluid balance, the effectiveness may be influenced by factors such as the ionic composition of the ORS and the rate at which it is administered.
Research Context and Methodology
- The experiment involved four adult standardbred gelding horses, purposely induced with diarrhoea using castor oil.
- The researchers monitored the hydration status, the balance of electrolytes and acid-base balance of the horses.
- The horses received an oral rehydration solution (ORS) when symptoms indicative of minor decreases in the effective circulating fluid volume were first observed.
Results and Findings
- Within 1.5 hours of ORS administration, all the horses showed substantial metabolic acidosis, signified by specific mean values for venous blood pH, HCO3 (bicarbonate), and standard base excess.
- Though there was a trend for reducing plasma volume, it did not change significantly, and it began approaching normal values about 8 hours after the ORS administration.
- All horses exhibited signs of abdominal discomfort after the last dosage of ORS given at 30 minutes intervals.
- A significant increase in the concentration of sodium in faecal fluid was noted with diarrhoea, reaching values four times those typically observed in healthy horses.
- Even with this increase in sodium concentration, the faecal fluid remained hypotonic throughout.
Conclusions and Implications
- While ORS can help restore systemic fluid balance, several factors affect their efficacy. Two noteworthy factors identified in this study were the ionic composition of the ORS and the rapidity of administration.
- The researchers concluded that the electrolyte composition of current ORS may not be perfectly suitable to treat diarrhoea in horses.
- It was also inferred that administering 8-10 litres of ORS every 30 minutes via a nasogastric tube could result in excessively swift small intestinal transit, leaving insufficient time for absorption.
The significant contribution of the study is in highlighting the inefficiencies in the current practices to handle diarrhoea in horses and suggesting scopes for improvement.
Cite This Article
APA
Ecke P, Hodgson DR, Rose RJ.
(1998).
Induced diarrhoea in horses. Part 2: Response to administration of an oral rehydration solution.
Vet J, 155(2), 161-170.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s1090-0233(98)80012-9 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Rural Veterinary Centre, University of Sydney, Camden, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Acidosis / etiology
- Acidosis / veterinary
- Animals
- Castor Oil
- Diarrhea / physiopathology
- Diarrhea / therapy
- Diarrhea / veterinary
- Fluid Therapy / methods
- Fluid Therapy / veterinary
- Hematocrit
- Hemodynamics
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Crabtree NE, Epstein KL. Current Concepts in Fluid Therapy in Horses.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:648774.
- Gomez DE, Bedford S, Darby S, Palmisano M, MacKay RJ, Renaud DL. Acid-base disorders in sick goats and their association with mortality: A simplified strong ion difference approach.. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Nov;34(6):2776-2786.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
