%0 Journal Article
%T Oncotic pressure and the effects of water deprivation in healthy captive Asian elephants
%A Carsten Bandt
%A Ellen Wiedner
%A James S. Hall
%A Natalie H. Hall
%A Nicole I. Stacy
%A Ramiro Isaza
%J Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
%@ 1943-4936
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/1040638719855682
%X We evaluated the oncotic pressure (plasma colloid osmotic pressure, ¦Ðc) in a group of healthy, captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus; n = 21) with a colloid osmometer with a membrane cutoff of >20,000 daltons. The median ¦Ðc for these elephants was 26.3£¿mm Hg with an interquartile interval of 25.5¨C26.8£¿mm Hg. The mean ¦Ðc value was 26.0 mm Hg ¡À SD 1.1. We found moderate correlation between albumin measured by electrophoresis and ¦Ðc (r = 0.622; p = 0.003). After a 16-h water deprivation test in a subset of elephants (n = 16), a difference in ¦Ðc was not detected, despite a significant increase in serum total proteins, urea, and osmolality. These results indicate that ¦Ðc is not a sensitive indicator of hydration status in elephants after a short period of water deprivation. Use of oncotic pressure as a diagnostic tool in diseased Asian elephants warrants further investigation
%K colloids
%K elephants
%K hydration
%K oncotic pressure
%K plasma
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1040638719855682