Background: Pigs for biomedical research are administered commercial fluids made for human consumption when they receive intravenous (IV) fluid therapy. Although pigs and humans have slightly different bodily fluid compositions, the composition shift happens at the same rate as their rapid growth.
Objective: The study aimed to analyse the composition of porcine blood according to breeding cycle using a portable blood analyser and provides data for developing customized IV fluids for pigs.
Methods: Pigs were sorted 25, 50, 100 and 120 days after birth, and sows were classified into candidate, pregnant and farrowing groups. A blood sample was collected from the external jugular vein and analysed using the EPOC blood analysis system using haematological, biochemical and gas parameters.
Results: There was no difference among pig groups by age, but hematocrit and haemoglobin amounts decreased in sows after farrowing, but their concentrations were higher as compared to pigs. Glucose gradually reduced as age increased in pigs and during pregnancy in sows.
Conclusion: This study provided a comprehensive analysis of porcine blood composition by breeding cycle and highlighted the importance of glucose supplementation for IV fluid therapy in pigs.
Keywords: blood analysis; fluid therapy; porcine; venous.
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