Effect of acetate Ringer’s solution with or without 5% dextrose administered intravenously to diarrheic calves

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of intravenous acetate Ringer's solution, with or without dextrose, on diarrheic calves with either experimentally induced or spontaneous diarrhea. In the experimental model, diarrhea was induced in nine healthy calves by administering cold milk (below 4°C) twice a day for 2 days. The calves were randomly assigned to the isotonic saline (ISS), acetated Ringer's (AR) or acetated Ringer's with 5% dextrose (ARD) groups, with three calves assigned to each group. The calves received 80 ml/kg of their designated solution, at a flow rate of 20 ml/kg/hr. Infusion of ISS, AR and ARD were all found to be safe and effective in increasing plasma volume. Intravenous (IV) infusion of ISS resulted in the acidification secondary to dilution, while AR and ARD infusion inhibited acidification. In addition, prevention of catabolism was observed only with IV infusion of ARD. Sixteen calves with spontaneous diarrhea were enrolled in the clinical study. The calves were randomly assigned to the AR or ARD groups, with eight calves being assigned to each group. The calves received 100 ml/kg of their designated solution, at a flow rate of 25 ml/kg/hr. Intravenous infusion of AR and ARD was found to be effective in increasing plasma volume and inhibiting acidification. Only infusion of ARD prevented catabolism, but it also led to hyperglycemia. Our results suggest that a solution containing dextrose may be beneficial for wasting diarrheic calves.