Author: Melanie Bailey, RVN, Cert AVN (Anaesthesia). Melanie qualified in 2006 and has worked in a variety of first opinion and referral hospitals. In January 2024 she joined the nursing team at Willows Veterinary Referral Centre. Her special interests are anaesthesia, pain management, and emergency and critical care. She is currently studying a masters in advanced veterinary nursing at Harper Adams. Melanie is married to an arable farmer; they live on a farm in Warwickshire and have two young sons. According to her husband they have far too many animals, whereas she believes there is always room for one more!

Abstract: Respiration is referred to in terms of external and internal respiration. External respiration is the gaseous exchange between the air and the blood, which occurs within the lungs. Internal respiration is the exchange of gases between the blood and the tissues, which happens all over the body. Veterinary textbooks generally refer to the process of external respiration – the transport of oxygen (O2) into an animal’s lungs and transport of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the animal’s lungs.

Keywords: respiratory system, respiration, nursing considerations

To cite this article: The respiratory system. Bailey, M. (2024) VNJ 39 (3) pp54-58

To access this article, select one of the following links:

I am a BVNA member

I am accessing through my institute

I am paying for access