Hypothermia and Rewarming Times During General Anesthesia in Hispaniolan Amazon Parrots (Amazona ventralis): A Comparative Study of 3 Thermal Support Strategies and a Novel Body Temperature Measuring Too

Hugo A. Gonzalez-Jassi, MVZ, Zoological Medicine Resident, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University

Peri anesthetic hypothermia is one of the most common complications encountered when anesthetizing animals that have a high surface to volume ratio, like birds. Hypothermia exacerbates other physiological and cardiovascular anesthetic complications. This project aimed to evaluate the use of a heated Mapleson A anesthesia circuit in combination with convection warming strategies compared to non-heated rebreathing anesthesia circuits to manage peri anesthetic hypothermia. Additionally, we sought to investigate the use of a microchip to monitor the body temperature of anesthetized birds in comparison with standard esophageal and cloacal probes. A group of 12 Hispaniolan Amazon parrots from our research colony was anesthetized to compare 3 different rebreathing anesthesia circuits in combination with convection warming strategies. Although the results showed no statistically significant difference in the times of temperature loss and rewarming between circuits, our research serves as foundational data that this type of heated anesthesia circuits is safe to use in avian patients. The data analysis of the comparison between the microchip and probes is still pending and appears promising in describing a less invasive technique to monitor body temperature.