THE DISTRIBUTION OF WATER AND FAT IN THE SKIN AND MUSCLE OF THE DOG DURING CHRONIC AND ACUTE DEHYDRATION

Abstract

Samples of skin and muscle removed from anesthetized dogs before and after a period of chronic dehydration and acute dehydration were weighed and dried at constant temp. of 103 = 1 [degree]C, the fat was extracted and the fat-free wt. obtained. Chronic dehydration produced a 4% loss of fat from the skin but less than 0.5% from muscle; no fat was lost during acute dehydration. Calculated on fat-free samples, the normal water content of the skin differed from that of muscle by less than 5%, but detns. based on whole tissue indicated that skin contained 13% less water than muscle. The water lost from whole muscle was 1.5% during chronic dehydration and 0.7% during acute dehydration; based on fat-free tissue these losses were 1.6% and 1.1%. During chronic and acute dehydration, the skin lost 1.5% and 2.5% of the water, or, on fat-free basis, 4.6% and 2.5%. When detns. were based upon whole tissue, the skin of obese animals, because of a decrease in fat, appeared to gain water during chronic dehydration; based on fat-free samples, skin lost 2%. A comparison of fat-free samples indicated that the skin of obese dogs contained less water and lost water less readily during dehydration than did the skin of lean dogs.