Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heliox gas improves breathing flow in normal and flat-faced dogs
By Benavides, Kathryn et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2019·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The effect of inhaled heliox on peak flow rates in normal and brachycephalic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that breathing a special gas mixture called heliox (helium and oxygen) helped improve airflow in both normal and flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs. The researchers tested 11 healthy dogs and measured how well they could inhale and exhale before and after using heliox. The results showed that both types of dogs had better airflow after inhaling heliox, with brachycephalic dogs showing significant improvement in their breathing patterns. This suggests that heliox could be a helpful treatment for dogs with breathing difficulties, especially those with naturally narrow airways.
People also search for: dog breathing problems treatment · heliox for brachycephalic dogs · improving airflow in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Heliox, a mixture of helium and oxygen, alleviates airway obstruction in people and improves air flow, and its use has been proposed in dogs. Brachycephalic dogs have naturally occurring airway obstruction where heliox might be a useful therapeutic option. OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to (1) determine the impact of breathing heliox on peak inspiratory and expiratory flows (PIF/PEF) in healthy dogs and (2) determine if brachycephalic dogs and mesocephalic dogs have similar responses to inhaled heliox. ANIMALS: Eleven healthy dogs: 5 mesocephalic and 6 brachycephalic dogs. METHODS: A prospective study. Tidal breathing flow-volume loops were recorded when dogs were breathing room air (nitrogen-oxygen) and heliox. Peak inspiratory and expiratory flow rates were recorded and the subjective shape of loops assessed. Peak inspiratory and expiratory flows pre- and post-heliox were compared using a Mann-Whitney Rank sum test with a P-value of <.05 considered significant. RESULTS: In inhaled heliox, PIF and PEF were evaluated by tidal breathing flow-volume loops. In mesocephalic dogs, PIF increased from a median of 820 mL/s (range, 494-1010 mL/s) to 1386 mL/s; P = .02; and for PEF from 688 mL/s to 1793 mL/s (P = .04), whereas in brachycephalic dogs, the median PIF increased from 282 mL/s to 694 mL/s; P = .01 and the median PEF increased from 212 mL/s to 517 mL/sec; P = .03. Brachycephalic dogs showed normalization of loop shapes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Heliox improves flow rate and appears to improve flow patterns in brachycephalic dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30536634/