The effects of anesthesia with a combination of intramuscular xylazine-diazepam-ketamine on heart rate, respiratory rate and cloacal temperature in roosters

Backyard Poultry and Waterfowl Sedation and Anesthesia

The popularity of backyard poultry (chickens, turkey, guinea fowl) and waterfowl (ducks and geese) is increasing in the United States, and these animals frequently present for veterinary care. Like other birds, these species have unique anatomy that should be clinically considered before anesthesia. A balanced approach to an injectable, inhalational, or combination anesthesia protocol must be taken to ensure a safe outcome for the patient and to achieve the procedural needs. A well-informed clinician may use both sedation and general anesthesia to care for backyard bird patients in practice.

FORMAÇÃO E DISTRIBUIÇÃO DO PLEXO BRAQUIAL EM PAPAGAIOS VERDADEIROS (Amazona aestiva, Linnaeus, 1758)

<title>Resumo</title><p>Procedimentos anestésicos locais são realizados comumente em aves domésticas e silvestres, por ser de baixo custo e de rápida indução, desde que feitos com precisão, o que requer conhecimento anatômico específico da área a ser operada. Este trabalho objetivou estabelecer a origem e a distribuição do plexo braquial do papagaio verdadeiro (<italic>Amazona aestiva</italic>), através da dissecação da pele e da musculatura de 22 papagaios (17 machos e 5 fêmeas), provenientes do Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres do Distrito Federal, após óbito motivado por causas naturais, promovendo o isolamento das raízes formadoras do plexo braquial, bem como de sua ramificação. O plexo braquial foi formado através de quatro troncos, envolvendo os ramos ventrais dos segmentos medulares de C9 a C10, C10 a C11, C11 a T1 e T1 a T2, que se uniram em um curto tronco comum, ramificado em cordões dorsal e ventral. O tronco comum emitiu os delgados nervos subcoracóide e subescapular, além do ramo para o músculo escapuloumeral. O cordão dorsal deu origem aos nervos anconeal, axilar e radial, e o cordão ventral, os nervos peitoral cranial, peitoral caudal, coracobraquial e medianoulnar, cujos ramos supriram os músculos dos compartimentos extensor e flexor do membro torácico, músculos peitorais e pele sobrejacente.</p>

Digestibility for dogs and cats of meat and bone meal processed at two different temperature and pressure levels*

This study evaluated the effect of two rendering processes applied to meat and bone meal (MBM) production, associated or not with extrusion, by measuring diet apparent total tract digestibility of dogs and cats, and true digestibility of amino acids (AA) by cecectomized roosters. Four diets were evaluated, with the main protein source as follows: conventional and extruded MBM; high temperature and pressure (HPT; 135 °C, 3 bar, 20 min) and extruded MBM; conventional non-extruded MBM; HPT non-extruded MBM. Nutrient digestibility and food metabolizable energy content were evaluated with dogs and cats by the method of total collection of faeces. True AA digestibility was evaluated by a precision-fed assay with cecectomized roosters. The evaluated MBM had high-ash content. The HPT process of MBM increased the digestibility of crude protein of the diets by cats, and the true digestibility of several AA by cecectomized roosters. The extrusion process did not modify the apparent total tract nutrient digestibility of MBM by dogs and their amino acid digestibility by roosters, but increased the digestibility of the dietary protein by cats. Dogs fed HPT MBM presented a higher urea post-prandial response, suggesting reductions in bioavailability and protein synthesis from absorbed AA.

Age-related impairment in choroidal blood flow compensation for arterial blood pressure fluctuation in pigeons

PURPOSE

Choroidal vessels compensate for changes in systemic blood pressure (BP) so that choroidal blood flow (ChBF) remains stable over a BP range of approximately 40 mm Hg above and below basal. Because of the presumed importance of ChBF regulation for maintenance of retinal health, we investigated if ChBF compensation for BP fluctuation in pigeons fails with age.

METHODS

Transcleral laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure ChBF during spontaneous BP fluctuation in anesthetized pigeons ranging in age from 0.5 to 17 years (pigeons can live approximately 20 years in captivity).

RESULTS

ChBF in <8-year-old pigeons remained near 100% of basal ChBF at BPs ranging 40 mm Hg above and below basal BP (95 mm Hg). Baroregulation failed below approximately 50 mm Hg BP. In ≥8-year-old pigeons, ChBF compensation was absent at >90 mm Hg BP, with ChBF linearly following BP. Over the 60 to 90 mm Hg range, ChBF in ≥8-year-old pigeons was maintained at 60-70% of young basal ChBF. Below approximately 55 mm Hg, baroregulation again followed BP linearly.

CONCLUSIONS

Age-related ChBF baroregulatory impairment occurs in pigeons, with ChBF linear with above-basal BP, and ChBF failing to adequately maintain ChBF during below-basal BP. Defective autonomic sympathetic and parasympathetic neurogenic control, or defective myogenic control, may cause these baroregulatory defects. In either case, overperfusion during high BP may cause oxidative injury to the outer retina, whereas underperfusion during low BP may result in deficient nutrient supply and waste removal, with both abnormalities contributing to age-related retinal pathology and vision loss.