The effect of electrolyte balance (EB) in diets with different levels of electrolytes for growing swine under high environmental temperature was evaluated. Two hundred castrated pigs with initial weight of 25.3±1.3 kg and final weight of 68.8±3.4 kg were allotted in a completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and four replicates with 10 pigs per experimental unit, for the growing phase T1 (control) diet without electrolyte 191 mEq/kg; T2 (NaHCO3) diet supplemented with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) 250 mEq/kg; T3 (NaHCO3+KCl) diet supplemented with (NaHCO3) and potassium chloride (KCl) 250 mEq/kg; T4 (NaHCO3) diet supplemented with (NaHCO3) 300 mEq/kg; T5 (NaHCO3+KCl) diet supplemented with NaHCO3 and (KCl) 300 mEq/kg. The performance parameters evaluated were: feed intake, daily gain, nitrogen intake, lysine intake, efficiency of nitrogen use for weight gain, efficiency of lysine use for weight gain and the gain-to-feed ratio and the physiological parameters, respiratory frequency and rectal temperature. Blood was colleted to measure serum concentration of Na, Cl and K. The average temperature was 29.65±3.80º C with relative humidity of 69.6±10.4%, Black Globe Temperature of 31.95±1.98º C and temperature index calculated of 80.51±2.44. The levels of EB decreased (P<0.05) the feed intake and improved nitrogen intake. The other performance parameters evaluated were not influenced by the treatment (P>0.05). The correction of EB did not influence the growth of the swine.
Acid base equilibrium; heat stress; sodium bicarbonate; potassium chloride
