Effects of a DA-1 receptor agonist on systemic and intestinal oxygen delivery (DO₂) -uptake relationships were studied in anesthetized dogs during sequential hemorrhage. Control (Group I) and experimental animals (Group II) were treated similarly except for the addition of fenoldopam (1.0 µg.kg^-1 .min^-1) in Group II. Both groups had comparable systemic critical DO₂ (DO₂crit), but animals in Group II had a higher gut DO₂crit (1.12 ± 1.13 vs. 0.80 ± 0.09 mL.kg^-1.min^-1, P< 0.05). At the mucosal level, a clear biphasic delivery-uptake relationship was not observed in Group I; thus, oxygen consumption by the mucosa may be supply dependent under physiologic conditions. Group II demonstrated higher peak mucosal blood flow and lack of supply dependency at higher mucosal DO₂ levels. Fenoldopam resulted in a more conspicuous biphasic relationship at the mucosa and a rightward shift of overall splanchnic DO₂crit despite increased splanchnic blood flow. These findings suggest that DA-1 receptor stimulation results in increased gut perfusion heterogeneity and maldistribution of perfusion, resulting in increased susceptibility to ischemia.