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Effect of five percent dehydration on breath hydrogen concentrations in dogs
S A Bissett1, W G Guilford, S J Haslett
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Objective:
To determine the effect of mild dehydration (5%) on expired breath H2 concentrations in dogs.
Animals:
10 healthy, colony-source dogs.
Procedure:
Expired breath samples were collected at baseline, and every 90 minutes for 18 hours after ingestion of a test meal (commercial dog food and kibbled wheat) in fully hydrated dogs and in the same dogs when they had lost 5% of their body weight after food and water deprivation. The areas under the breath H2 concentration versus time curves (AUC) for the dehydrated and nondehydrated states were compared, using a two-stage, balanced, crossover, repeated measures technique. The number of breath samples considered to be contaminated by flatus were compared by use of a one-sided sign test.
Results:
Expired breath H2 concentration of dogs during the dehydration test period was significantly (P < 0.02) greater than that during the nondehydration test period. In addition, flatulence was significantly (P < 0.033) more frequent in dogs during the dehydration period.
Conclusions:
Dehydrated dogs have greater expired breath H2 concentration and produce more flatus after ingestion of a carbohydrate-containing meal. Considered together, these findings suggest that dehydration results in an increase in the net amount of H2 produced in the gastrointestinal tract.
Clinical Relevance:
Care should be taken to assess the hydration status, and to correct hydration deficits of dogs prior to breath H2 testing.