Intermittent peritoneal dialysis for the treatment of acute renal failure in two horses

Summary Acute renal failure (ARF) in the horse is most commonly due to decreased renal perfusion or a nephrotoxic insult. Conventional therapy includes the administration of i.v. fluids, frusemide, mannitol and/or dopamine, as well as general supportive care. However, not all horses with ARF will respond to these treatments. In these cases, peritoneal dialysis is a viable therapeutic option. This case report describes 2 horses with ARF that was refractory to conventional therapy. Intermittent peritoneal dialysis was used effectively in both cases for treatment of the ARF. Dialysis was easy to perform and associated only with minor complications. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing the successful use of intermittent peritoneal dialysis in the treatment of ARF in the horse.