title: Testing Refrigeration Trucks for the Emergency Evacuation of Companion Animals.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to quantify the changes in oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in sealed refrigerator trucks scheduled to be used for transporting companion animals (dogs and cats) during an emergency evacuation. A total of 122 nonhuman animals (total weight = 1,248 kg) housed in individual crates were loaded into a 16-m refrigeration truck. Once they were loaded, the doors were closed and the percentages of O2 and CO2 were measured every 5 min by O2 and CO2 analyzers, and they were used to quantify the changes in gas pressure in the sealed truck. CO2 had a much higher-than-predicted increase, and O2 had a higher-than-predicted decrease. These 2 pressures in combination with the functionality of the respiratory system will limit the animal's ability to load O2, and over time, they will initiate asphyxia or suffocation. Over time, the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) in the sealed truck will decrease, causing hypoxia, and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) will increase, causing hypercapnia.
authors.affiliation: a U.S. Department of Agriculture , Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Care , Fort Collins , Colorado.
authors.forename: Vaughan A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Langman
authors.affiliation: a U.S. Department of Agriculture , Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Care , Fort Collins , Colorado.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ellifrit
authors.affiliation: a U.S. Department of Agriculture , Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Care , Fort Collins , Colorado.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sime
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biology , Indiana State University.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.affiliation: a U.S. Department of Agriculture , Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Animal Care , Fort Collins , Colorado.
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hogue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology; D004630:Emergencies; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000592:standards; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010313:Partial Pressure; D057805:Pets / Q000502:physiology; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: alveolar gas; hypercapnia; physiology-pulmonary; respiratory quotient