A chamber (tube) has been assembled that will hold an awake cat for chest x-rays and/or a computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan. The device maintains a stable environment of temperature, humidity and enriched oxygen. A cat presenting with labored breathing (caused by heart disease, lung disease, or other diseases of the chest) to a veterinary hospital can be placed into the device immediately to avoid restraint, as well as provide oxygen and a quiet environment. The portability of this device allows for transport of the cat to radiology for chest x-rays or a CT scan without removing them from the tube. This lack of manual restraint during a severe respiratory crisis will improve patient survival as handling these cats can result in their death. Efficient, safe imaging should reduce patient suffering and guide the appropriate next test or treatment. Additional cats need to be assessed in the device with chest x-rays to obtain statistically significant data to finalize the study and publish the results. Once the study is finished, the results and the device can be used in private practices as well as large referral and university hospitals to help improve the overall survival of cats that present with difficulty breathing.
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