Body weight, total body water and hematocrit in diarrheic piglets

Piglets aged 12 to 72 h in which diarrhea had been induced by enteric Escherichia coli infection or sucrose gavage were studied with respect to body weight, total body water concentration (determined by tritiated-water dilution) and hematocrit. Sucrose-induced diarrhea reduced body weight by 13 to 17%, and E. coli diarrhea, by 8 to 9%. Neither age nor diarrheal treatment affected total body water concentration, although diarrheic piglets tended to have higher hematocrit values at all ages. There was a significant daily cycle in the piglets' hematocrit values, so hematocrit might be a less valid reflector of neonates' whole body hydration status than of adults'. It was concluded that diarrheic neonatal piglets lose body water and dry matter in a ratio similar to that of normal body water and dry matter concentrations, thus their bodies have normal total body water concentrations and normal average specific heat values.