Effect of an insulation device in preventing hypothermia during magnetic resonance imaging examinations for dogs and cats under general anesthesia

Abstract

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.