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5 things you need to know about the AAHA/AAFP Fluid Therapy Guidelines

We all know how important water is to living beingswithout it, we couldnt survive. Water in our cells helps regulate body temperature, aids in digestion, transports oxygen and nutrients (as well as waste), lubricates joints, energizes muscles, and basically keeps our organs functioning.

Thats why fluid therapy is such an important part of veterinary medicine. If an animal is dehydrated due to illnessor needs a boost during surgeryveterinary teams can administer fluids to help them stabilize. The AAHA/AAFP fluid therapy guidelines thoroughly prepare animal hospitals to best administer these life-saving fluids and customize treatment to the needs of each individual dog or cat.

Here are the top five things to know:

Lift your pets lip and run your fingers along his gums. If he is well-hydrated, his gums will be slippery and moist to the touch. If your finger sticks to the gums because they are dry or tacky, then he is dehydrated and you should seek veterinary care immediately.

Gently pinch your pets skin between his shoulder blades or at the top of his head between his ears. If he is well-hydrated, once you let go of the skin, it will quickly flatten out back to normal. If he is dehydrated, the skin will remain tented for a second or two. Seek veterinary care if this is the case.

Look at your pets eyes. His eyeballs should be slightly jutting out of his eye sockets. With severe dehydration, the tissue and fat behind the eyeball shrinks and the eye sinks deep into the sockets. You guessed it: Call your veterinarian if you suspect dehydration.

What to ask your veterinarian about fluid therapy:

Related articles:Heatstroke and your petKeep it cool for pets on warm daysSix things to consider when choosing a new veterinarianWhy theres no substitute for advice from your own veterinarianCommunication 101: Get the most out of your vet visit

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Fluid Therapy Guidelines | AAHA

This entry was posted on April 21, 2019 at 9:49 am and is filed under Diabetes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |