A retrospective study was conducted of clinical records of calves with
neonatal diarrhea up to the age of 14 days concerning certain aspects of
blood potassium concentration and heart rate and rhythm. No correlation
could be found between heart rates and serum potassium concentrations.
Bradycardia was no indicator of hyperkalemia, nor could hyperkalemia be
ruled out in animals with tachycardia. Cardiac arrhythmias were not
associated with pronounced kyperkalemia, and did not indicate a poor
prognosis. It was concluded that, at least in clinical cases of neonatal calf
diarrhea, heart rate and rhythm are subject to complex influences and yield
no information on the actual serum potassium concentration in a particular
animal