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Practical Fluid Therapy in Large and
Small Ruminants: Part 1

Christine B. Navarre, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Extension Veterinarian Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
cnavarre@agcenter.lsu.edu

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Fluid Therapy for Cows, Small Ruminants
- Objectives
- Correct dehydration
- Correct acid/base abnormalities
- Correct electrolyte abnormalities
- Provide for maintenance and ongoing losses
- Nutritional support

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Dehydration Deficit and Maintenance Rates
- Dehydration deficit
- BW(kg) x %dehydration = deficit in liters (careful with calves, small ruminants)
- ex. 40 kg goat 8% dehydrated needs
- 40 x .08 = 3.2 L
- ex. 500 kg cow 8% dehydrated needs
- 500 x .08 = 40 L
- Maintenance
- 1 ml/lb/hr
- Increases with excess losses like diarrhea
- Lactation?

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Bicarbonate Deficit
- Adult
- BW(kg) x base deficit x .3 = mEq bicarbonate
- Neonate
- BW(kg) x base deficit x 0.6 = mEq bicarbonate
- Some recommend using 0.7 as ECF space
- Can substitute (normal bicarbonate - measured bicarbonate) for BD
- mEq bicarb/12 = grams bicarbonate

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Catheters
- Adult cattle
- 14 G 5 inch jugular
- 14 G 2 inch ear (Angiocath)
- Always make stab incision with blade for jugular catheters

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Ear Vein Catheters

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Ear Vein Catheter

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IMAGE

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Fluid therapy for Adult Cattle
- Oral vs IV
- Disease
- Cost
- Facilities
- Temperament of patient

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Restraint

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Fluid Therapy for Adult Cattle
- Combination therapy:
- IV + oral
- Hypertonic saline + oral
- Acid/base status
- Most sick cows have metabolic alkalosis
- Except grain overload, choke, severe diarrhea, fatty liver disease/ketosis, severe shock
- Hypochloremia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia

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Fluid Therapy for Adult Cattle
- Fluids for metabolic alkalosis:
- Give electrolytes and correct fluid deficit
- Allows kidneys to correct
- Ringer’s my favorite oral and IV

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Fluid Therapy for Adult Cattle
- If < 8 % dehydrated, mild depression, still walking
- Correct deficit with oral fluids unless rumen disease or GI obstruction
- Can add 30-60 grams of KCL and a tube of calcium gel

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Fluid Therapy for Adult Cattle
- If > 8% dehydrated, depressed, recumbent
- IV isotonic fluids with 20 mEq KCl/L and calcium solution at 25-50 ml/L
- OR
- 4 ml/kg hypertonic saline solution (~ 2 L per adult cow) administer as fast as possible through 14 G catheter
- Follow with oral fluids (will usually drink following HSS) if no GI disease or IV if GI disease

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Fluid Therapy for Adult Cattle
- If grain overload:
- Calculate bicarbonate deficit if blood work available or use BD of 10 and administer IV
- Follow up with IV fluids (do not give large amounts of oral fluids, already have rumen distension)
- Can give some bicarbonate orally but probably no use if severe (need rumenotomy)
- DO NOT USE hypertonic saline solution (may be already hyperosmolar)

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TPN/PPN
- PPN in adult cows
- Usually lipid breakdown so don’t need more fat in system
- Chronic ketosis, fatty liver
- 5L Normosol/Ringer’s + 500 ml 50% Dextrose + 1 Liter Aminosyn + K and Ca as needed + 20 ml B vitamins at rate of 5% body weight per day

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Catheters Small Ruminants
- Adult sheep/goats/llamas/alpacas and crias: 16 G 3.25 in jugular
- Kids/lambs: 18G 2 in jugular
- Always make stab incision completely through skin with #15 blade, will save time and catheters
- Glue and tape in place
- J-loop in crias
- Intraosseous in neontates

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Oral Fluids
- Stallion catheter
- Avoid gatorade, sugar water, etc.
- Use calf electrolytes if possible
- Mix calf electrolytes according to label directions
- Do not add to milk
- Refrigerate and discard after 24 hours

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Fluid Therapy Sheep and Goats
- Treat like cows only BE CAREFUL of fluid amounts, do not overload, esp. in kids and lambs

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Llamas/Alpacas
- Unpredictable electrolyte and acid/base status so always try to run bloodwork, esp. in crias
- Adults get fatty liver commonly when off feed so consider PPN if anorexic for more than a few days
- Camelids get hypoproteinemic easily
- Careful with fluid amounts and rates
- Monitor PCV/TP
- Bolus fluids
- Due to stoic nature, camelids can hide serious illness until very late
- Be aggressive in treatment

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IV Fluids for Crias
- Crias can be hyperglycemic, hyperosmolar, and hypernatremic
- Hypernatremic due to hyperglycemic diuresis
- Correct with balanced isotonic solution

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Alternative Fluids
- Hypertonic saline/dextran + oral fluids
- O.K for lambs and kids
- Variability of sodium in crias makes this less than ideal as compared to calves

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Fatty Liver/Pregnancy Toxemia Small Ruminants and Camelids
- Oral high energy calf electrolytes if caught early
- Once hypoglycemic need IV dextrose
- Consider partial parenteral nutrition (no lipids) in stressed camelids
- Sheep and goats may be acidotic and/or hypocalcemic also

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Dr. Cebra’s Alternative
- 5L normosol + 500 ml 50% Dextrose + 1 Liter Aminosyn + K and Ca as needed + 20 ml B vitamins at rate of 5% body weight per day at steady drip (don’t bolus)

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Tips
- If on continuous fluids consider bolusing q 3 hours
- Allows better control of rate in animals with long necks and thick skin that cause kinking of catheters.
- Can instruct clients to administer this way
- NOT appropriate if glucose content is > 2% or for PPN/TPN

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Tips
- 1 level teaspoon is approximately 5 grams of most salts
- NaHCO3
- 1 gm = 12 mEq so 240 mEq = 20 grams or ~ 4 tsp.
- Isotonic saline
- 9gms/L non-iodized table salt,
- ~ 2 tsp NaCl/L water is isotonic saline
- Supplement potassium
- 10-20mEq/L or 1gm/L(14mEq/L)
- ~ half a tsp. lite salt/L water (lite salt is half sodium chloride and half potassium chloride)

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