The present study used data from anesthetic records to analyze variables of intracranial pressure (ICP) during brain tumor surgery or in the early postoperative period as prognostic indicators in dogs. Data from 17 dogs which were scheduled to undergo elective craniotomy for brain tumor surgery from 2009 to 2012 were included. Of these, five (29.4%) died during 14 days after the surgery because of respiratory failure following pneumonia (n=2), euthanasia due to difficulty in treatment of status epilepticus (n=1), tumor-bed hematoma (n=1), and unknown reason (n=1). In the 12 surviving dogs, neurological signs were improved or resolved at discharge. All dogs were administered midazolam and droperidol-fentanyl as premedication. General anesthesia was induced using propofol maintained on isoflurane and oxygen. Direct ICP was obtained via a Codman Microsensor strain gauge transducer. ICP hypertension (>13 mmHg) measured after 15 min of recovery from the moment after discontinuation of anesthesia by turning off the vaporizer dial was associated with poor prognosis (odds ratio, 20.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.39−287.60, P=0.028). This suggests that intracranial pressure influences the postoperative mortality rate in dogs undergoing brain tumor surgery.

Dogs and cats under general anesthesia may develop hypothermia. When performing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination, it is not possible to place a magnetic material in the MRI room, and MRI equipment requires a low room temperature. This study investigated the effectiveness of a heat insulating device that prevented hypothermia during MRI examinations in dogs and cats. The animals that underwent MRI examinations under general anesthesia were divided into control groups (no covering) and heat insulating groups (wearing bubble wrap and down cloth blankets), and their body temperatures were measured before and after the MRI examinations. The changes in body temperatures were as follows: control dogs (n = 17), median of −1.0 (from −2.5 to 0.3) °C; heat insulated dogs (n = 7), −0.3 (from −0.8 to 0.2) °C; control cats (n = 14), −1.85 (from −2.7 to −0.6) °C; and heat insulated cats (n = 12), −0.8 (from −1.5 to −0.1) °C. These results revealed that the bubble wrap and down cloth blanket significantly prevented hypothermia and heat loss from the body surface during MRI examinations of dogs and cats.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in veterinary patients requires general anesthesia to limit movement during imaging. Hypothermia is a very common complication in small animals under anesthesia and can lead to a variety of adverse events, including delayed recovery, organ dysfunction, decreased immune function, blood coagulation abnormalities, and decreased metabolism. Specifically, hypothermia during MRI examinations is difficult to prevent or reduce during MRI examinations under anesthesia, as there are no commercially available electrical warming systems specifically designed for use in MRI rooms, which impacts recovery and overall health. This chapter examines various methods for preventing hypothermia in small animals undergoing MRI examinations under general anesthesia and provides comprehensive insights into the limitations of current hypothermia prevention practices and introduces novel approaches, such as the use of insulation devices, heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) and α₂ adrenergic receptor agonists like dexmedetomidine, which can maintain rectal temperature effectively during prolonged anesthesia.

Introduction: Choosing an endotracheal tube (ETT) of an appropriate size is critical for effective airway management in dogs undergoing anesthesia or emergency care. Conventional methods often rely on body weight (BW), palpation of external tracheal diameter, nasal septum width, or subjective clinician experience. However, these approaches are frequently imprecise and lack well-established guidelines. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a machine learning-based decision tree model to standardize ETT size using measurable anatomical parameters in dolichocephalic, mesocephalic, and brachycephalic breeds. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from dogs undergoing anesthesia or emergency care at the Northern Regional Veterinary Healthcare and Learning Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, (NOVEL CMU) Thailand between January and December 2024. We investigated the relationship between the internal diameter (ID) of the ETT used and multiple patient variables, including BW, sex, age, breed, and internal tracheal diameter (ITD) measured at the thoracic inlet on radiographs. Decision tree analysis was used to determine the ETT selection. We hypothesized that a decision tree model integrating BW and ITD would accurately predict appropriate ETT sizing in dogs, but that upper airway anatomical differences would necessitate separate models for non-brachycephalic breeds (Group DM, including dolichocephalic and mesocephalic conformation) and brachycephalic breeds (Group B). Results and discussion: The results demonstrated that Group B required ETTs with a significantly smaller ID compared to Group DM of the same BW. Variable importance analysis identified BW and ITD as the primary predictors of ETT size in both groups. Conversely, sex and age demonstrated negligible predictive value and were not significant factors in the selection process. Hence, the decision tree model successfully generated distinct algorithmic pathways for Group DM and Group B. The developed decision tree models offer a practical, non-invasive method for standardizing ETT sizes in clinical practice, thereby enhancing skilled veterinary human capital. This algorithmic approach accounts for individual anatomical variations in the respiratory tract, particularly in brachycephalic dogs. For clinical application, clinicians should prepare tubes within ±0.5 mm of the predicted size to ensure optimal airway management and patient safety.

We retrospectively investigated the opioid-sparing effect of the oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane (SCTAP) block with bupivacaine in dogs undergoing open hepatectomy via the Mercedes incision. Remifentanil was used for intraoperative analgesia. The SCTAP block was performed using 0.125% bupivacaine in the TAP group, and dogs that did not receive the nerve block were assigned to the control group. The remifentanil dose was significantly lower in the TAP group than in the control group. The number of dogs that received fentanyl as rescue analgesia was significantly lower in the TAP group than in the control group. The ultrasound-guided SCTAP block with bupivacaine may substantially reduce the intraoperative dose of opioid analgesics in dogs undergoing open hepatectomy via the Mercedes incision.