Evaluation of oxygen administration with a high-flow nasal cannula to clinically normal dogs.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of oxygen administration by use of a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in sedated clinically normal dogs. ANIMALS 6 healthy adult dogs undergoing routine dental prophylaxis. PROCEDURES Dogs were sedated with butorphanol tartrate and dexmedetomidine. An esophageal balloon catheter was inserted into the esophagus, a double-pronged nasal cannula was inserted into the nares, and a catheter was inserted into the dorsal pedal artery. Dogs were positioned in right lateral recumbency. After a 6-minute acclimation period, baseline blood gas values and transpulmonary pressure were measured. Dogs then received supplemental oxygen via conventional oxygen therapy (COT) at a rate of 100 mL/kg/min (COT-100 treatment) and an HFNC at a rate of 20 L/min (HF-20 treatment) and 30 L/min (HF-30 treatment). Arterial blood gas and transpulmonary pressure were measured after a 6-minute acclimation period for each oxygen delivery method. Radiographs were obtained before and after oxygen administration to evaluate gastric distension. RESULTS Median Pao2 was significantly higher for HF-20 (519.9 mm Hg) and HF-30 (538.1 mm Hg) treatments, compared with median Pao2 for the COT-100 treatment (202.9 mm Hg). The Pao2 did not differ significantly between the HF-20 and HF-30 treatments. There was no significant difference in Paco2 or change in transpulmonary pressure between baseline and any oxygen delivery method. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In this study, HFNC appeared to be a safe and effective method for oxygen delivery to sedated healthy dogs. Further studies are needed to evaluate use of HFNCs for oxygen administration to hypoxemic patients.

Ecology of Bats, Their Ectoparasites, and Associated Pathogens on Saint Kitts Island.

Ectoparasites of bats and bat-associated pathogens are poorly studied in the Lesser Antilles Islands. We report on an 11-mo field study on Saint Kitts Island of bat populations, their associated ectoparasites, and pathogens. We report on five ectoparasite species, including four Streblidae (Diptera) and a Spinturnicidae (Acari). Several genotypes of unnamed Bartonella were isolated from bats and ectoparasites. Microfilaria of an undetermined Litomosoides spp. were detected in blood from Artibeus jamaicensis Leach (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) (and associated ectoparasites: Trichobius intermedius Peterson and Hurka (Diptera: Streblidae) and Periglischrus iheringi Oudemans (Acari: Spinturnicidae)). In addition, an Ehrlichia sp. and Rickettsia africae were detected in the blood of several bat species. Our study is one of the first surveys of ectoparasite-borne pathogens in wild mammals from St. Kitts.