Abstract
Regular exercise improves the health status of dogs; however, extreme exertion in the absence of adequate fluid and electrolyte replacement may negatively impact health and performance due to dehydration and cardiovascular stress. Unlike humans and horses, dogs thermoregulate predominantly through respiration and salivation, yet there is a dearth of literature defining exercise‐induced changes to canine salivary electrolytes. The study objective was to investigate the effects of exercise on salivary electrolyte concentrations, and to determine if adaptations may occur in response to incremental conditioning in client‐owned Siberian Huskies. Sixteen dogs were used, with an average age of 4.8 ± 2.5 years and body weight of 24.3 ± 4.3 kg. A 12‐week exercise regimen was designed to increase in distance each week, but weather played a role in setting the daily distance. Saliva samples were collected at weeks 0 (pre‐run, 5.7 km), 5 (pre‐run, 5.7, 39.0 km), and 11 (pre‐run, 5.7, 39.0 km). Samples were analyzed for sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous using photometric and indirect ion‐selective electrode analysis. When compared across weeks, sodium, chloride, potassium, and calcium concentrations did not differ at any sampling time point; however, phosphorus and magnesium concentrations increased from baseline. Data were then pooled across weeks to evaluate changes due to distance and level of conditioning. Sodium, chloride, and magnesium concentrations increased progressively with distance ran, suggesting that these electrolytes are primarily being lost as exercising dogs salivate. Repletion of these minerals may assist in preventing exercise‐induced electrolyte imbalance in physically active dogs.
Highlights
Without adequate fluid and electrolyte replacement, exercise-induced dehydration decreases athletic performance and negatively impacts health and wellbeing in human and canine athletes alike (Goulet, 2012; Young, Iacovino, Erve, Mosher,& Spector, 1959; Zanghi, Robbins, Ramos, & Otto, 2018)
The data presented indicate that when dogs participate in aerobic exercise, salivary concentrations of Na, Mg, and Cl increase, suggesting that these are the electrolyte minerals primarily lost in saliva during a bout of exercise
In the future, evaluating plasma and salivary electrolyte concentrations simultaneously in dogs subjected to various levels of exercise while being maintained in a controlled environment may provide data to support the findings presented
Summary
Without adequate fluid and electrolyte replacement, exercise-induced dehydration decreases athletic performance and negatively impacts health and wellbeing in human and canine athletes alike (Goulet, 2012; Young, Iacovino, Erve, Mosher,& Spector, 1959; Zanghi, Robbins, Ramos, & Otto, 2018). These losses cause decreases in total body water and plasma volume and, depending on the type of fluid loss (e.g., hypotonic, isotonic, or hypertonic), can increase plasma osmolarity. The reduced blood volume lessens cardiac filling and stroke volume while increasing heart rate, resulting in a degree of cardiovascular stress greater than that caused by exercise itself (Cheuvront, Carter, & Sawka, 2003). This may result in reduced blood flow to heat dissipation sites (e.g., skin, respiratory tract including mouth), resulting in inadequate heat transfer to the environment and excessive increases in body heat storage (Geor, McCutcheon, Ecker, & Lindinger, 2000). In dogs induced with extracellular hyperosmolality—an outcome of hypertonic dehydration—internal temperature increased by nearly 2°C during 1 hr of submaximal exercise, an increase that was ~0.5°C greater than reported in the control dogs (Kozlowski, Greenleaf, Turlejska, & Nazar, 1980)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
