運動測試是診斷犬隻BOAS最常見的方法。運動測試又分為「3分鐘跑步測試」和「5分鐘走路測試」。研究指出,法國鬥牛犬、英國鬥牛犬和巴哥犬三種犬種進行「3分鐘跑步測試」和「5分鐘走路測試」後,「3分鐘跑步測試」診斷BOAS的「敏感度」較「5分鐘走路測試」高 [1]。除了運動測試外,喉頭聽診預測「喉塌陷」高達100%特異性。因此建議評估法國鬥牛犬、英國鬥牛犬和巴哥犬BOAS嚴重程度時,同時進行「3分鐘跑步測試」並搭配「喉頭聽診」。
此外,芬蘭的研究團隊指出,「1000公尺走路測試」(距離固定)和「6分鐘走路測試」(時間固定)來評估英國鬥牛犬的BOAS【2】。結果顯示,患有BOAS的犬隻走路距離顯著短於未患病的犬隻,且走路速度也更慢。
全體體積描述器(Whole-body barometric plethysmography , WBBP)檢測吸氣和呼氣過程中呼吸機內的壓力變化,並使用波以耳定律分析氣體體積。WBBP已被廣泛使用評估動物中的各種呼吸狀況 [3-13]。WBBP已被用於檢測氣道阻塞 [14, 3-4]、氣道反應性 [4, 15]、貓的下呼吸道疾病 [13, 16] 和短顱犬阻塞性呼吸道症候群(BOAS)[1, 18]。WBBP搭配專屬程式即可量化BOAS的嚴重程度 [19],嚴重程度評分從0(無BOAS)到100%(嚴重BOAS)。這種非侵入性切客觀的呼吸功能測試,可以進一步研究BOAS的風險因子、手術效果評估 [20-22]。
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