Influence of preemptive analgesia with meloxicam before resection of the unilateral mammary gland on postoperative cardiovascular parameters in dogs.

Preemptive analgesia is recommended in small animal medicine. However, many studies have evaluated the response to analgesic treatment by behavioral observation. Therefore, the influence of preemptive analgesia with meloxicam on postoperative cardiovascular and renal parameters remains to be clarified. The present study examined the changes in blood pressure, heart rate, double product and heart rate variability for 14 days and the changes in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and serum cortisol level for 24 hr after resection of the unilateral mammary gland in meloxicam and control groups consisting of 5 healthy dogs. All data were collected under unanesthetized and unrestrained conditions using a radio telemetry system. Blood pressure, heart rate and double product were significantly lower in the meloxicam compared with the control group, and the meloxicam group's diurnal changes became stable more than 36 hr earlier than those of the control group. The systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure values of the meloxicam group were 5- to 20-mm Hg lower than those of the control group until 5 days after surgery. The maximum difference between the two groups in terms of the double product values 14 days after surgery was 2,000 bpm x mmHg. Autonomic activity inhibition was prolonged in the control group. There were no significant differences in the 24-hr changes in GFR or serum cortisol level. This study showed that perioperative administration of meloxicam reduced unfavorable postoperative changes in the cardiovascular system without influencing renal function.