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Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Treatment and Medicines

Fluid therapy

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/ˈfluːɪd ˈθerəpi/nounCommon term

In veterinary medicine, fluid therapy means: Giving water and salts to an animal, usually through a drip into a vein, to correct dehydration, support blood pressure or replace ongoing losses.

In Turkish: sıvı tedavisi, serum tedavisi

How it is used

Vets talk about IV fluids, putting a patient on a drip or on fluids, and fluid rates in ml/kg/h. Fluids can also be given under the skin (subcutaneous fluids) or by mouth, as in oral rehydration for calves.

Example sentences

  1. We'll start fluid therapy straight away and recheck his kidneys tomorrow.

  2. Calves with mild scour often respond well to oral fluid therapy.

Common collocations

  • IV fluid therapy
  • start fluid therapy
  • fluid rate
  • on a drip
  • subcutaneous fluids
  • dehydrationA state in which the body has lost more water than it has taken in, often because of vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or not drinking.
  • IVShort for intravenous, meaning into or inside a vein. It is also used as a noun for an intravenous line or drip.
  • hospitaliseTo admit an animal to the clinic so that it stays for treatment, monitoring or care, for example on a drip. US spelling: hospitalize.
  • subcutaneousUnder the skin. Used for injections, fluids and implants placed in the tissue just below the skin, and for lumps found there.

More terms: Treatment and Medicines

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.