March 29, 2002 I goofed and listed the wrong units for one of the questions on the computer exam. There are some sodium values listed in units of mg/dl that should be mEq/l.

March 20, 2002: Questions on written exam

1. what does, "dry reagent chemistries as single tests" mean?
In house tests using reagent strips. You use a separate strip for each test.
2. where can I get normal values for the U/A?
Although text books publish normal values, normalcy for a UA must be interpreted in light the clinical picture and blood tests. What is normal in one situation may be abnormal in another.
3. what is the first question (What kind of muzzle should be applied to this patient and why?) looking for? See notes on physical exam from last year's restraint class (vm 568) http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/courses_vm568_97/sam.html
The question is not why use a muzzle but why select a certain type of muzzl

Feb. 28, 2002 Clarification of sodium concentration and dehydration: I did not mean to imply in lecture this morning that dogs and cats NEVER have an elevated blood sodium when they are dehydrated... MOST DO NOT.

The most common causes of dehydration are vomiting, diarrhea and anorexia.

Vomiting & diarrhea cause loss of water AND electrolytes including sodium, so the fluid in the ECF space (including blood) still has a similar CONCENTRATION of sodium compared to before becoming dehydrated. So blood sodium is usually NORMAL = ISOTONIC dehydration. In fact some dogs/ cats with GI losses will have a LOW blood sodium due to larges losses of sodium.

Animals that do not have vomiting or diarrhea but are anorexic (and not drinking) still lose water and electrolytes in urine and free water from insensible losses. In this case, since they have one isotonic loss (urine) and one free water loss (insensible) they may have a MILD increase in blood sodium

Those animals with increased insensible (free water loss) for example, prolonged open mouthed breathing in a patient with respiratory disease, may have an INCREASED blood sodium if they become dehydrated.


So with those 3 scenarios, you see that the blood sodium can be low, normal or high but that the MAJORITY are NORMAL based on the high frequency of GI diseases causing dehydration.
 
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