Dogs with GDV with venous blood work evaluated within 1 h of presentation have a variable acid-base balance, and traditional acid-base analysis was frequently normal. The anion gap did not reliably indicate the presence of hyperlactatemia. Semiquantitative acid-base analysis revealed that most dogs had multiple coexisting alkalotic and acidotic acid-base processes. Given the variability of acid-base balance in dogs with GDV, assessing each patient individually is essential.
Talts et al. (Sun,) studied this question.