Haemodynamic and respiratory changes in 12 bitches, being six of natural birth and six caesarean using sevoflurane as an anaesthetic maintenance agent, were studied. The caesarean sections were performed using general anaesthesia, employing acepromazine maleate, propofol and sevoflurane. During natural birth, as each puppy was being delivered, the bitches were evaluated (rectal temperature, non-invasive arterial blood pressure respiratory and cardiac rate, capillary time reperfusion and blood gas values). During the caesarean, the same parameters mentioned for the natural birth were measured, in addition to the esophagus temperature and invasive arterial blood pressure throughout the anaesthetic period, besides the anaesthetic recovery quality. The bitches, submitted to the caesarean sections showed lower values of cardiac frequency, arterial pressure, respiratory frequency, time of capilar reperfusion and arterial blood pH when compared to the bitches which underwent natural birth, showing the cardiorespiratoy depression induced by the anaesthetic procedure. In spite of the anaesthetic depression, the anaesthetic protocol employed had no effect on the viability and health of the bitches and the puppies, and can be safely recommend for caesarean sections.
bitch; inalatory anaesthesia; sevoflurane; pregnant; caesarean
