Ever feel like the more you learn, the less you know? That’s often how I feel about fluid therapy, so let’s get back to basics.
Total Body Water (TBW)
In dogs and cats, TBW is approximately 60% of their weight. Remember that 1 liter of water weighs 1 kilogram.
For a 25 kg dog, TBW is 15 liters. The math: 25 kg x 0.6 = 15 liters of water.
Take home message: Our patients are mostly water. Staying hydrated and well perfused is important!
Need to know math:
Converting kilograms (kg) to pounds (lb): 1 kg = 2.2 lb.
25 kg is how many pounds? 25 kg x 2.2 lb/kg = 55 lb
1 kg = 1 L of water = 2.2 lb
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