Elimination of panting by decerebration and determination of core temperature threshold for panting in conscious and anesthetized cats

Three groups of cats, a conscious, an anesthetized, and a decerebrate one, were subjected to heat stress while their respiratory rate and rectal temperature were continuously monitored.Panting developed in the conscious and anesthetized cats, but not in the decerebrate ones. The mean panting rectal temperature among the conscious cats was 38.9 and among the anesthetized cats 40.1 °C. The corresponding mean respiratory rates were 272.8 and 244.8/min respectively.The difference in the rectal temperature thresholds for panting and the difference between the corresponding respiratory rates for the above two groups were statistically significant (p