ELECTROLYTE AND ACID-BASE DISTURBANCES IN THE HORSE

Electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities are commonly identified during the diagnostic work-up of a variety of equine diseases. Although some clinical problems, such as hyperkalemic periodic paralysis of Quarter Horses, are primary manifestations of electrolyte imbalance, many other perturbations in electrolyte and acid-base status more significantly reflect the severity of an underlying disease process and provide useful information by which the effect of treatment of that disease may be assessed. This article summarizes the veterinary practitioner's approach to the interpretation of electrolyte and acid-base irregularities, how to more specifically characterize those abnormalities, and when to suspect these abnormalities in the clinical setting.