# Preliminary research on tailored fluid therapy in pigs: comparing customized ionic solutions with Hartmann’s solution

## TL;DR

This study investigates a customized fluid therapy for pigs, finding it safe but not significantly more effective than standard solutions like Hartmann’s.

## Contribution

The study introduces a customized fluid therapy tailored to pig blood ionic concentrations and evaluates its safety and efficacy.

## Key findings

- Customized fluids showed no adverse effects in healthy pigs with minor physiological changes.
- No significant improvement in clinical symptoms or blood chemistry in dehydrated pigs using customized fluids.
- Observed variations were attributed to sample size and anesthesia effects rather than fluid properties.

## Abstract

Fluid therapy in veterinary medicine is pivotal for treating various conditions in pigs; however, standard solutions, such as Hartmann’s solution, may not optimally align with pig physiology. This study explored the development and efficacy of a customized fluid therapy tailored to the ionic concentrations of pig blood, aiming to enhance treatment outcomes and safety in both healthy and diseased pigs.

The study involved two experiments: the first to assess the safety and stability of customized fluids in healthy pigs, and the second to evaluate the efficacy in pigs with clinical symptoms of dehydration. In healthy pigs, the administration of customized fluids showed no adverse effects, with slight alterations observed in pO2, hematocrit, and glucose levels in some groups. In symptomatic pigs, the customized fluid group did not show any improvement in clinical symptoms, with no significant changes in blood chemistry or metabolite levels compared to controls. The customized fluid group showed a mild increase in some values after administration, yet within normal physiological ranges. The study reported no significant improvements in clinical or dehydration status, attributing the observed variations in blood test results to the limited sample size and anaesthesia effects rather than fluid characteristics.

Customized fluid therapy, tailored to mimic the ionic concentrations of pig blood, appears to be a safe and potentially more effective alternative to conventional solutions such as Hartmann’s solution for treating pigs under various health conditions. Further research with larger sample sizes and controlled conditions is recommended to validate these findings and to explore the full potential of customized fluid therapy in veterinary practice.