Abstract
Maintenance fluid therapy is challenging in horses that cannot drink or are denied feed and water because of concerns about gastrointestinal tract function and patency. Intravenous fluid delivery to meet water needs based on current recommendations for maintenance requirements were obtained in fed horses and therefore might not apply to horses that are not being fed. This is a critical flaw because of the interdependence between intestinal tract water and extracellular water to support digestion while preserving water balance, a concept explained by the enterosystemic cycle. Because horses drink less when they are not eating and hence have lower water needs than fed horses, maintenance water requirements need to be adjusted accordingly. This article reviews this topic and identifies benefits of adjusting maintenance fluid therapy to meet lower demands from gastrointestinal function, such as reduced volumes, lower cost, avoidance of overhydration.
Highlights
Maintenance fluid therapy is challenging in horses that cannot drink or are denied feed and water because of concerns about gastrointestinal tract function and patency
In horses transitioned from pasture to stall management with controlled exercise, water consumption doubled on all recorded days after the transition, total fecal output decreased by about half, and fecal dry matter content increased compared with pasture measurements [24]
Maintenance water needs in horses can be influenced by feed intake, largely through the role of water in the extracellular fluid (ECF) space to support digestive processes in the intestinal lumen [22]
Summary
Maintenance fluid intake refers largely to water required to offset water losses through insensible routes (skin and lungs) and through excretory processes (urine and feces) [3,4,5]. In horses transitioned from pasture to stall management with controlled exercise, water consumption doubled on all recorded days after the transition, total fecal output decreased by about half, and fecal dry matter content increased compared with pasture measurements [24]. These changes in intestinal water, along with decreased motility in different parts of the large colon (on ultrasound examination), could be implicated as possible causes of colonic impactions [24]
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