Understanding fluid requirements

Question 1

how much fluid is lost in urine per day?

Answer 1

24-48ml/kg/day

Question 2

how much fluid is lost in faeces per day?

Answer 2

10-20ml/kg/day

Question 3

how much fluid is lost in respiration and sweat per day?

Answer 3

20ml/kg/day

Question 4

how much of an adult animal’s body is water?

Answer 4

60% water

Question 5

how much of a young animal’s body is water?

Answer 5

70-80% water

Question 6

how much of an older animal’s body is water?

Answer 6

50-55% water

Question 7

what is the main solvent in the body?

Answer 7

water

Question 8

what is <7 pH?

Answer 8

acidic

Question 9

what is >7 pH?

Answer 9

alkaline

Question 10

what is 7 pH?

Answer 10

neutral

Question 11

what should the pH be in the body?

Answer 11

7.35-7.45

Question 12

what are some ways that the body controls its acid-base balance?

Answer 12

• respiration
• kidneys
• buffers

Question 13

what is homeostasis?

Answer 13

no movement of blood plasma

Question 14

what are the two effects of fluid loss from plasma water?

Answer 14

• osmoregulators stimulate the release of antidiuretic hormone making the animal thirsty
• the kidney detects a reduction in plasma water as a reduction in renal blood flow which stimulates the release of Renin which generates angiotensin

Question 15

what does RAAS stand for?

Answer 15

renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system

Question 16

What is osmotic pressure?

Answer 16

The pressure which draws the water across the membrane

Question 17

What are the four methods to assess dehydration?

Answer 17

• clinical history
• clinical examination
• laboratory analysis
• clinical measurements

Question 18

What are some clinical signs of dehydration?

Answer 18

• gum moistness
• skin tenting
• sunken eyes
• urine output
• PCV

Question 19

How do you correct fluid loss?

Answer 19

5 R’s
- resuscitation (correcting shock)
- routine maintenance
- replacement
- redistribution
- reassessment (regular monitoring)

Question 20

What are the maintenance rates of fluid for cats and dogs?

Answer 20

50ml/kg/day

Question 21

What are the maintenance rates of fluid for rabbits?

Answer 21

100ml/kg/day

Question 22

What is a standard giving set drip factor?

Answer 22

20 drops/ml

Question 23

What is a paediatric giving set drip factor?

Answer 23

60 drops/ml

Question 24

What are the steps to working out drops per second?

Answer 24

1- work out maintenance requirements (BW X 50/100)
2- work out ml per hour (divide by 24)
3- work out drops per hour (multiply by drip factor)
4- work out drops per minute (divide by 60)
5- work out frequency of drops per second (divide by 60)

Question 25

What is the dehydration/fluid deficit calculation?

Answer 25

Body weight x dehydration % x 10ml = fluid deficit

Question 26

How much should you account for every episode of v+/d+ in fluid losses?

Answer 26

4ml/kg/episode

Question 27

How much should you increase the fluid deficit by for 1% PCV increase?

Answer 27

Add 10ml/kg for every 1% increase in PCV

Question 28

How many litres should you add to your fluid deficit if there is weight loss involved?

Answer 28

1kg = 1L

Question 29

what is a buffer?

Answer 29

- a substance that maintains or stabilises the pH in the presence of high or low levels or hydrogen ions

Question 30

what is diffusion?

Answer 30

a passive process where electrolytes pass from a solution of high electrolyte concentration to a solution of low electrolyte concentration

Question 31

what is osmosis?

Answer 31

the passive movement of water molecules from a solution of low electrolyte concentration to a solution of high electrolyte concentration across a semi-permeable membrane

Question 32

what is active transport?

Answer 32

the movement of electrolytes against an osmotic gradient

Question 33

what do isotonic solutions achieve?

Answer 33

increases the extracellular fluid volume

Question 34

what does hypotonic solutions achieve?

Answer 34

used when the cell is dehydrated and fluids need to be put back intracellularly