Does postprandial lipemia interfere with blood gas analysis and assessment of acid-base status in dogs?

To evaluate the interference of postprandial lipemia on blood gas parameters and to assess the acid-base status by the quantitative approach of the strong ion model blood samples of 15 healthy dogs were collected during fasting (0 h) and at one (1 h), three (3 h) and five (5 h) hours after the induction of lipemia with a hypercaloric diet. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels were used to assess lipemia and these were correlated with the parameters evaluated accordingly. Anion gap decreased at 5 h without correlation with TC and TG, whereas other parameters measured by the blood gasometer did not change. In the evaluation of the acid base state, the apparent strong ion difference (SIDa) and the strong ion gap (SIG) showed a decrease at 5 h without correlation with lipemia. Lipid levels correlated with the effective strong ion difference (SIDe), the concentration of total non-volatile weak acids (A), albumin, phosphate, and magnesium. The SIDe increased at 1 h and at 3 h; the A at 1 h, 3 h, and 5 h; albumin increased at 1 h and 3 h; phosphate increased at 1 h, 3 h and 5 h; and magnesium decreased at 5 h. Though postprandial lipemia does not interfere with blood gas analysis, it can cause errors in the variables used to assess the acid-base status, which are dependent on biochemical analytes. Therefore, caution is required when interpreting electrolyte disturbances that result from the postprandial state.