Volume 76 (2026) Issue: 2026 No#1

Restrictive versus liberal fluid therapy and perioperative outcomes in canine laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a retrospective study of 104 cases

Author(s): Jean Carlos Gasparotto, Luiza Tonietto Mangini, Lisiane Saremba Vieira, Gabriel Satoru Ohashi, Otávio Henrique de Melo Schiefler, Gabrielle Coelho Freitas, Beatriz Perez Floriano, Maurício Veloso Brun, André Vasconcelos Soares

Keywords:acute kidney injury, hemodynamics, hypothermia, intraoperative complications, pneumoperitoneum, vasoconstrictor agents

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in dogs induces hemodynamic and respiratory changes due to pneumoperitoneum, thereby making fluid therapy a central element of perioperative management. This retrospective, single-center study evaluated the effect of two crystalloid strategies: restrictive (5 mL/kg/h) and liberal (10 mL/kg/h), in 104 dogs anesthetized between 2014 and 2025 and subjected to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The primary outcome was perioperative mortality (≤7 days). Secondary outcomes included cardiovascular instability, hypothermia, vasopressor requirement, transfusion requirement, acute kidney injury, hospital resource utilization and short-term recovery. Analyses included between-group comparisons, multivariate logistic regression, and propensity to score matching (1:1). Mortality was low and similar between strategies. The liberal strategy was associated with higher frequency of hypothermia and lower minimum intraoperative temperature, while the restrictive strategy required higher maximum vasopressor doses, without increased severe events. In multivariate models, longer anesthetic time was associated with cardiovascular instability and hypothermia; higher body weight was protective against hypothermia. Findings remained consistent after matching. Therefore, in canine laparoscopic cholecystectomy, restrictive (5 mL/kg/h) and liberal (10 mL/kg/h) strategies showed similar clinical results; choice should be individualized based on each patient’s clinical status.