Endoscopic intubation of exotic companion mammals.

Rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and many other small exotic mammals are not intubated routinely, because intubation requires specialized equipment and is difficult to perfect. Using a face mask for these species solely on the basis that they are unable to regurgitate ignores the numerous other benefits of airway control. This article summarizes the many advantages of endotracheal intubation and the various methods of intubation that have been reported. It introduces endoscopic intubation as a method that overcomes many of the difficulties associated with other methods and describes the equipment needed, how to intubate with an endoscope, how to confirm proper endotracheal tube placement, and possible complications. Over-the-endoscope intubation is discussed in detail, as it appears to provide the most versatile and reliable method of intubating exotic companion mammals.