Evaluation of subcutaneous and oral administration of robenacoxib and meloxicam for the treatment of acute pain and inflammation associated with orthopedic surgery in dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To assess efficacy and tolerability of robenacoxib for control of pain and inflammation in dogs undergoing orthopedic surgery. ANIMALS: 140 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: A multicenter, prospective, randomized, blinded field trial was conducted to compare robenacoxib (97 dogs) and meloxicam (43 dogs). After randomization, each dog received an initial dose (robenacoxib, 2 mg/kg; meloxicam, 0.2 mg/kg) via SC injection before surgery and daily doses (robenacoxib, 1 to 2 mg/kg; meloxicam, 0.1 mg/kg) administered orally for up to 15 days after surgery. Efficacy was assessed by veterinarians and owners via numeric rating scales and visual analogue scales. Safety was assessed on the basis of reported adverse events, clinical signs, results of hematologic and biochemical analyses, and buccal mucosa bleeding times.
RESULTS: Treatment groups were balanced with respect to baseline and demographic data. Both treatments provided similar adequate pain control, as assessed with a modified Glasgow pain scale as the primary end point and supported by secondary end points in evaluations conducted by veterinarians and owners. For the primary end point, the ratio of the reciprocal of the scores for robenacoxib to meloxicam was 1.16 (95% confidence interval, 0.98 to 1.37). No dogs required rescue analgesia. Both treatments were associated with only minor adverse events, which were not necessarily related to the administered treatments and did not affect mucosal bleeding times. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Robenacoxib provided efficacy and tolerability similar to those of meloxicam for the management of perioperative pain and inflammation in dogs undergoing orthopedic surgery.