The use of lingual venous blood to determine the acid-base and blood-gas status of dogs under anesthesia

The pH and PCO2 of LBG samples provide clinically acceptable substitutes of ABG samples in the dog population studied. The wider limits of agreement for PO2 render it less reliable as a substitute for ABG. The difference in PO2 identified between LBG and ABG during medetomidine administration may not preclude the use of LBG as substitutes for ABG samples.