VN April 2023

Vetnews | April 2023 11 BIRDS Peripheral pulses can be found at the brachial (median or superficial ulnar), medial metatarsal, or carotid artery in the bird. 10 The cutaneous ulnar or brachial artery is a popular site when the Doppler ultrasound probe is used to monitor heart rate (Fig 4, Fig 5). 13 A Doppler flow probe can also be placed against the palatine artery in select species (Fig 6). The complex crop of psittacine birds and pigeons canmake it difficult to pass an esophageal stethoscope into the thoracic esophagus in these species. 12 REPTILES The apex beat can usually be visualized along the ventral scales in snakes, approximately 25% along the snake’s length . Copy the link or use a QR Reader to view the wave associated with a beating heart of a snake. https://vimeo.com/237423679 In many lizards, the pulse can be observed in the jugular groove .2 Doppler is considered the most reliable device for monitoring cardiac blood flow in reptiles. 20,31 The Doppler probe can be placed directly over the heart (Video 2, Fig 8, Fig 9), or it can be taped over a superficial artery like the carotid artery (on the ventrolateral surface of the neck), the coccygeal artery (at the base of the tail), or the femoral artery. The reptile heart rate is highly influenced by temperature. 5,31 Copy the link into your browser or use the QR code to view the video and to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler. Leading Article Figure 4: Doppler ultrasound probe placement on the brachial artery of a Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus). Maintaining correct position of the probe in this awkward location can be challenging. Photo credit: Katrina Lafferty, CVT, VTS. Figure 5: Two tongue depressors can be taped together at one end to form a giant clothespin to hold the Doppler probe in place over the brachial artery. Photo credit: Katrina Lafferty, CVT, VTS. Figure 6: Doppler ultrasound transducer placed over the palatine artery in the dorsal palate of a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Photo credit: Katrina Lafferty, CVT, VTS. >>> 12