Pritchard J C, Burn C C, Barr A R S, Whay H R
Brooke Hospital for Animals, Broadmead House, 21 Panton Street, London SW1 Y 4DR, UK.
Equine Vet J. 2008 Sep;40(6):558-64. doi: 10.2746/042516408X297462.
Dehydration is a serious welfare concern in horses working in developing countries. Identification of a valid and practical indicator of dehydration would enable more rapid treatment and prevention.
To examine changes in bodyweight, clinical and blood parameters during rehydration of working horses, identify a 'gold standard' criterion for dehydration and use this to validate a standardised skin tent test, drinking behaviour and mucous membrane dryness as potential field indicators.
Fifty horses with a positive skin tent test, working in environmental temperatures of 30-44 degrees C in Pakistan, were rested and offered water to drink ad libitum. Bodyweight, clinical and blood parameters, mucous membrane dryness, drinking behaviour and skin tent duration at 6 anatomical locations were measured at 0, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 min.
Skin tent duration was affected by side of animal (P = 0.008), anatomical location and coat moisture (both P < 0.001). Younger animals had shorter skin tents at all time points (P = 0.007). There was no significant association between plasma osmolality (P(osm)) or water intake and skin tent duration. Horses with a higher P(osm) drank significantly more water (P < 0.001), and had longer (P < 0.001) and more frequent (P = 0.001) drinking bouts. Neither P(osm) nor water intake affected qualitative and semi-quantitative measurements of mucous membrane dryness significantly.
The standardised skin tent test and measures of mucous membrane dryness investigated in this study were not valid or repeatable indicators of dehydration when compared with P(osm) as a 'gold standard' criterion. The volume of water consumed and the number and duration of drinking bouts were the most reliable guide to hydration status currently available for mature working horses. Offering palatable water to drink ad libitum provides both the diagnosis and the remedy for dehydration in working horses.
在发展中国家工作的马匹中，脱水是一个严重的福利问题。确定一个有效且实用的脱水指标将有助于更快速地进行治疗和预防。
研究工作马匹补液过程中体重、临床及血液参数的变化，确定脱水的“金标准”指标，并以此验证标准化皮肤皱襞试验、饮水行为和黏膜干燥度作为潜在现场指标的有效性。
在巴基斯坦环境温度为30 - 44摄氏度的条件下工作且皮肤皱襞试验呈阳性的50匹马，使其休息并随意饮水。在0、30、60、120、180、240和300分钟时测量体重、临床及血液参数、黏膜干燥度、饮水行为以及6个解剖部位的皮肤皱襞持续时间。
皮肤皱襞持续时间受动物体侧（P = 0.008）、解剖部位和被毛湿度影响（P均< 0.001）。所有时间点上，年轻动物的皮肤皱襞持续时间较短（P = 0.007）。血浆渗透压（P(osm)）或饮水量与皮肤皱襞持续时间之间无显著关联。P(osm)较高的马匹饮水量显著更多（P < 0.001），饮水次数更多（P < 0.001）且每次饮水持续时间更长（P = 0.001）。P(osm)和饮水量对黏膜干燥度的定性及半定量测量均无显著影响。
与作为“金标准”指标的P(osm)相比，本研究中所调查的标准化皮肤皱襞试验和黏膜干燥度测量并非有效的或可重复的脱水指标。饮水量以及饮水次数和每次饮水持续时间是目前可用于成熟工作马匹水合状态的最可靠指标。让工作马匹随意饮用适口的水可同时实现脱水的诊断和治疗。
