The aim of this study was to determine reference intervals (RI) for venous blood parameters determined with the RAPIDPoint 500 (RP500) blood gas analyzer using blood gas syringes (BGS) and to determine whether immediate analysis of venous blood collected into lithium heparin (LH) tubes can replace anaerobic blood sampling into BGS. The null hypothesis was that canine venous blood samples collected in BGS and in LH tubes are comparable. Jugular blood was collected from 51 healthy dogs into a BGS and a LH tube. The BGS was immediately analyzed followed by the LH tube. The RI were calculated from BGS results. The BGS and LH tubes results were compared using paired t-test or Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test and Bland-Altman analysis. To assess clinical relevance, the bias between BGS and LH tubes was compared with the allowable total error (TEa). Values derived from LH tubes showed no significant difference for standard bicarbonate (HCO3std), whole blood base excess (BE B), Na, K, Cl, glucose and hemoglobin (tHb). The pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide and oxygen, actual bicarbonate, extracellular base excess, ionized Ca, anion gap and lactate were significantly (p.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic drug that is used for uncontrolled bleeding of various origin. This retrospective study investigated the effect of tranexamic acid administration on bleeding tendency in dogs with surgically managed hemoperitoneum. Thirty dogs were treated with (TXA group) and 25 dogs without (CTR group) tranexamic acid prior to surgery. Various parameters (decrease in haematocrit, number of transfusions, shock index and changes in abdominal fluid accumulation) were used for characterization of bleeding tendency and compared between groups. Groups were similar at presentation and prior to surgery. None of the dogs undergoing rotational thromboelastography analysis showed hyperfibrinolysis prior to surgery. Overall transfusion and erythrocyte transfusion requirements as well as bleeding tendency, hospitalisation time and hospital discharge rate were similar between groups. Dogs of the TXA group received significantly more intraoperative plasma transfusions (P=0.013) and showed a higher systolic and mean arterial blood pressure (P=0.002 and 0.050) and lower shock index (P=0.028) with less dogs being in shock (P=0.012) at 24h. In summary, in this study population of dogs with surgically managed spontaneous hemoperitoneum dogs treated with tranexamic acid received more plasma transfusions intraoperatively and showed a lower shock index 24h after presentation. In dogs with surgically treated hemoabdomen tranexamic acid administration prior to surgery does not reduce red blood cell transfusion requirements or postoperative bleeding tendency.