Arterial blood gas measurements are different for brachycephalic and nonbrachycephalic dogs acclimatized to an altitude of 1,535 meters.

OBJECTIVE: To define reference intervals (RIs) for arterial blood gas (aBG) measurements in healthy, nonsedated, dolichocephalic, and mesocephalic (nonbrachycephalic) dogs at approximately 1,535 m above sea level and compare these findings with healthy, nonsedated, brachycephalic dogs living at the same altitude. ANIMALS: 120 adult nonbrachycephalic dogs and 20 adult brachycephalic dogs. METHODS: Cases were prospectively enrolled from October 2021 to June 2022. Dogs were enrolled from the community or after presentation for wellness examinations or minor injuries including lacerations, nail injuries, and lameness. Physical examinations and systolic blood pressure (sBP) measurements were obtained before blood sample collection. Arterial blood was collected from the dorsal pedal artery or femoral artery. After data collection, brachycephalic dogs underwent pre- and postexercise tolerance assessments. RESULTS: The mean and RI values for arterial pH (7.442; 7.375 to 7.515), partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (Pao2; 78.3; 59.2 to 92.7 mm Hg), partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (Paco2; 28.0; 21.5 to 34.4 mm Hg), saturation of arterial oxygen (Sao2; 98.4; 84.3% to 101.4%), HCO3 (18.9; 14.9 to 22.4 mmol/L), concentration of total hemoglobin (ctHb; 17.5; 13.4 to 21.1 g/dL), and sBP (133; 94 to 180 mm Hg) were established for healthy nonbrachycephalic dogs at 1,535-m altitude. All aBG measurements were statistically and clinically different from those previously reported for dogs at sea level. Brachycephalic dogs had significantly lower Pao2 and Sao2 (P = .0150 and P = .0237, respectively) and significantly higher ctHb (P = .0396) compared to nonbrachycephalic dogs acclimatized to the same altitude; the nonbrachycephalic RIs were not transferable to the brachycephalic dogs for Pao2. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study represents the first collation of aBG measurements for healthy nonbrachycephalic dogs acclimatized to an altitude of 1,535 m. Additionally, this study identified differences in arterial oxygenation measurements between brachycephalic and nonbrachycephalic dogs. RIs in brachycephalic dogs need to be established.

Surgical interventions and outcome in a population of canine trauma patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine signalment, injury type, trauma severity score, and outcome of canine trauma patients undergoing surgical (emergency room [ER] or operating room [OR]) and nonsurgical treatment in addition to time to surgery, specialty services involved, and cost in the OR surgery population. DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation of medical record and hospital trauma registry data on canine trauma cases. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: One thousand six hundred and thirty dogs presenting for traumatic injury between May 2017 and July 2020. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Demographics and outcome were compared for canine trauma patients undergoing OR surgery (12.8%, 208/1630), ER surgery (39.1%, 637/1630), or no surgical intervention (48.2%, 785/1630). Among the 2 surgical groups, 98.9% (836/845) survived to discharge compared with 92.2% (724/785) of the nonsurgical group (P < 0.0001). The OR surgical group had significantly higher median Animal Trauma Triage scores (2 vs 1, P < 0.0001) and median days in hospital (2 vs < 1, P < 0.0001) compared with the other groups. For the OR surgical cohort, electronic medical records were reviewed to determine the specialty surgery service involved, time to and duration of anesthesia and surgery, and visit cost. The most common surgery services involved were orthopedics (45.2%, 94/208) and general surgery (26.9%, 56/208). Neurology and general surgery cases required the longest median length of stay in hospital, and ophthalmology and dentistry cases required the shortest. The median cost of visit was highest in neurology ($10,032) and lowest in ophthalmology ($2305) and dentistry ($2404). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention in canine trauma patients appears to be associated with higher survival rates, and among the surgery groups, mortality was highest in the ER and general surgery groups. OR surgical intervention, in particular general surgery and neurology, was associated with increased length of hospitalization, increased cost, and higher Animal Trauma Triage scores.

Surgical interventions and outcome in a population of feline trauma patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine signalment, injury type, trauma severity score, and outcome of feline trauma patients undergoing surgical (emergency room [ER] and operating room [OR]) and nonsurgical treatments in addition to time to surgery, specialty services involved, and cost in the OR surgery population. DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation of medical record and hospital trauma registry data on feline trauma cases. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Two hundred and fifty-one cats presenting for traumatic injury between May 2017 and July 2020. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Demographics and outcomes were compared for cats undergoing surgical intervention in an OR (12%, 31/251) or an ER (23%, 58/251) setting and feline trauma patients without surgical intervention (65%, 162/251). Between the 2 surgical groups, 99% survived to discharge compared to 73.5% of the nonsurgical group (P < 0.0001). For the OR surgical cohort, electronic medical records were reviewed to determine the specialty surgery service involved, time to and duration of anesthesia and surgery, and visit cost. The most common surgery services involved were orthopedics (41%, 12/29) and dentistry (38%, 11/29), and the most common surgeries performed were mandibular fracture stabilization (8/29) and internal fixation for long bone fractures (8/29). The ER surgical group had a significantly lower Animal Trauma Triage score than the OR group (P < 0.0001), but a significant difference was not found between OR surgical and nonsurgical groups (P = 0.0553). No difference in modified Glasgow Coma Scale score was found between any groups. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention in feline trauma patients appears to be associated with higher survival rates, but no difference in mortality was found across surgery services. OR surgical intervention, in particular, orthopedic surgery, was associated with increased length of hospitalization, increased cost, and increased use of blood products.