Effect of laboratory acclimation on food and water consumption of pregnant sheep after fetal catheterization.
The objectives of this study were to determine 1) the time required for food and water consumption of late-gestation pregnant sheep to stabilize after a 6- to 7-h shipment by truck and 2) whether the duration of laboratory acclimation altered food and/or water consumption of pregnant sheep after fetal and maternal vascular catheterization. We used a semi-quantitative scale and a retrospective study design to determine food and water consumption as a function of acclimation time in post-shipping and post-surgery animals. These animals had been in our research facility for 2, 3, 4, and 5 or more days prior to surgical catheterization of the fetus and mother. We used a quantitative scale and a prospective study design to determine food and water consumption in post-surgery animals that had been in the laboratory for either 2 or > or = 7 days at the time of surgery. We used two- and three-factor repeated measures analyses of variance to determine the statistical significance of any differences. Although food and water consumption in post-shipping animals were significantly (p < 0.001) lower on day 1 than other days, we attributed this difference to the fact that "day 1" was shorter than 24 hours because the animals arrived in the laboratory at noon. Further, the post-surgery decrease and subsequent recovery in food and water consumption did not depend on the duration of the acclimation prior to surgery. We conclude that differences in pre-surgery, post-transportation acclimation periods ranging from 48 hours to > or = 7 days do not affect post-operative recovery from fetal surgery in sheep.
Chan
T T
TT
Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, California, 92093-0802, USA.
Richter
P J
PJ
Brace
R A
RA
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D004326:Drinking; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D014186:Transportation