Evaluation of Vascular Ultrasound Measurements for Prediction of Dehydration Dogs

Dehydration and over hydration play a critical role in cardiovascular system as they influence preload, and venous return. Excessive use of fluid therapy without consciousness, leads to over hydration. So, using abdominal point of care ultrasound examination is important to assess caudal vena cava (CVC) which is more affected by fluid volume than aorta. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of dehydration and rehydration on CVC and aorta in dogs. For this purpose, forty dogs were allocated randomly into two groups (20 each). Group 1: control apparently healthy dogs; Group 2 (n=20, dehydrated) were infused with normal saline at a dose rate of 60 ml/kg/hr. The experimental animals were subjected to physical examination followed by ultrasound investigations. The diameter of CVC and Ao decreased significantly with dehydration (p<0.05) and increased significantly after fluid therapy administration (p<0.05). So, we can depend on ultrasound examination in determining the degree of dehydration, follow up during fluid administration and fluid resuscitation. In conclusion, point of care diagnostic ultrasound is a reliable tool for detection of dehydration and for monitoring fluid treatment in patient dogs.