Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How alcohol or water rinses affect surgery temperature in young
By Isaza, Daniela et al.·Published in Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia·2021·Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Impact of surgical preparatory rinses with isopropyl alcohol or water on perioperative body temperature in pediatric female dogs and cats.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of puppies and kittens undergoing surgery were prepared with either an isopropyl alcohol rinse or a water rinse to see if it affected their body temperature during the procedure. The study found that both rinses resulted in similar body temperatures, meaning neither was better at keeping the pets warm. This suggests that other factors may play a bigger role in keeping young animals warm during surgery. Pet owners can feel reassured that both rinsing methods are effective for surgical prep without impacting temperature.
People also search for: puppy surgery preparation · kitten surgery temperature · isopropyl alcohol vs water for pets
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the effects of presurgical preparation with an isopropyl alcohol or water rinse on the perioperative rectal temperature (RT) of puppies and kittens. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. ANIMALS: A total of 48 intact female mixed breed puppies and 43 intact female Domestic Short Hair kittens aged 8-18 weeks. METHODS: All animals were premedicated with intramuscular buprenorphine (0.02 mg kg) and acepromazine (0.05 mg kg). Anesthesia was induced with intravenous propofol (4 mg kgto effect) for puppies or ketamine (5 mg kg) and midazolam (0.25 mg kg) for kittens. RT was measured every minute for the first 15 minutes at the beginning of hair/fur removal, then every 5 minutes for 45 minutes (dogs) and 35 minutes (cats). All animals were prepared for surgery using a 1.6% chlorhexidine solution, then rinsed with either isopropyl alcohol (group CA) or water (group CW). RESULTS: Mean RT difference between the groups was not significant at any time point. The mean RT at 45 minutes for dogs was 35.9 °C and 36.0 °C in groups CA and CW, respectively (p = 0.74). The mean RT at 35 minutes for cats was 35.1 °C in both groups (p = 0.84). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of either water or alcohol as a rinsing agent results in the same degree of perioperative temperature change. Other factors that contribute to perioperative hypothermia should be considered when choosing between these rinsing agents in surgical preparation of pediatric and small animals.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33589395/