Blood and urinary variables in horses supplemented with electrolytes

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate changes on variables in blood, urine and water balance in horses in response to a single dose of electrolyte supplementation. The essay was conducted on a randomised 3×3 Latin Square design repeated over time, with three animals and three treatments: Treatment 1: control group (without supplementation); Treatment 2: supplementation with a medium dose of electrolytes composed of: 0.25 g of NaCl + 0.125 g of KCl + 0.05 g of CaCl + 0.025 g of MgCl per kg of BW; Treatment 3: supplementation with a high dose of electrolytes composed of: 0.625 g of NaCl + 0.3125 g of KCl + 0.125 g of CaCl + 0.0625 g of MgCl per kg of BW, equivalent to 2.5 times the medium dose of supplementation. The electrolytes were supplied through a nasogastric tube 4 h after the morning meal. The diet provided had a forage:concentrate ratio of 70:30, composed of coastcross hay and commercial concentrate, with an estimated consumption of 2% of body weigth (BW). Horses received 116 mg/kg of BW of commercial mineral salt mixed in the concentrate. Samples of blood, urine and digesta were collected over a 12 h period after supplementation for analysis of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium concentration. Water intake and urine output were also measured. Electrolytic supplementation enhanced (P<0.05) the water intake, water retention and urine output. Blood variables were not altered by electrolyte supplementation (P≯0.05). The supplementation also influenced the sodium and chloride excretion in urine (P<0.05). Urine physicochemical characteristics and the concentration of electrolytes excreted with time were significantly altered as a function of the electrolytes supplementation.

Effects of exercise on cations/anions in blood serum of English Thoroughbred horses

“…Cations and anions losses during speed race, reflect a balance among sweat loss, plus water, influence of exercise intensity and duration, and index of the horse's adaptation to speed and endurance (Sanin et al, 2015).These ions are electrically charged particles, and not just inert accumulations of salt suspended in an aqueous medium (Martins et al, 2014).They are indispensable biochemical analytes in the acidbase balance of blood, the water balance of body, maintaining osmotic pressure, movement of electrical impulses and muscle contraction and relaxation (Soetan et al, 2010;Terker et al, 2015;Kataoka, 2017).For this reason, the present study determined the effect of physical exercise on the serum concentration of Na + , K + , Cland HCO 3 ions in English Thoroughbred horses for its application in sports medicine.…”