Evaluation of an intravenous catheter for use in the horse

A commercially available polyvinyl chloride intravenous catheter was studied in 9 horses for 3 to 10 days to evaluate the catheter's suitability for use in the horse, to develop a new insertion technique, and to establish a protocol for catheter care. Seven of the animals were clinically normal horses receiving parenteral nutrition; one was a horse with hypocalcemia receiving frequent intravenous injections of calcium gluconate, and one was a clinically normal horse receiving no infusions. The catheter dressings were changed every 48 hours, and an aspirate from the catheter and the catheter tip was cultured at the time of catheter removal. One catheter became infected following a break in the protocol. It was concluded that the polyvinyl catheter is suitable for use in the horse and that the proposed protocol for catheter insertion and maintenance may reduce the likelihood of complications such as catheter sepsis, thrombophlebitis, and embolism.