Determination of reference intervals of acid-base parameters in clinically healthy dogs.

Abstract

To establish reference intervals for traditionally- and Stewart's approach-determined acid-base parameters in a population of clinically healthy dogs. Prospective study (June 2011-September 2012). Veterinary teaching hospital. Two hundred twenty-four client-owned, clinically healthy dogs. Blood was collected from the jugular vein and the dorsal pedal artery. In the whole blood samples, pH, PCO2 , and PO2 were measured and HCO3- , standard and total bicarbonate, base excess, oxygen content, and alveolar-arterial oxygen differences were calculated. Plasma sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, albumin, and lactate concentrations were measured and the following parameters were calculated separately for venous and arterial samples: anion gap, anion gap corrected for albumin and phosphate, sodium chloride difference and ratio, chloride gap, strong ion difference, strong ion gap, and unmeasured anions. Reference intervals for traditionally- and Stewart's approach-determined acid-base parameters were established for venous and arterial blood in dogs.