Yishai Kushnir1, Noa Toledano2, Liat Cohen2, Tali Bdolah-Abram3, Yael Shilo-Benjamini2. 1. Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. Electronic address: kushniry@yahoo.com. 2. Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. 3. Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether intratesticular and incisional ropivacaine infiltration produces sufficient intra- and postoperative analgesia for castrating dogs under sedation. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, blinded, controlled clinical study. ANIMALS: Twenty-three healthy dogs weighing 5.8-35.6 kg admitted for castration. METHODS: Dogs were sedated with medetomidine (0.01 mg kg-1), butorphanol (0.2 mg kg-1) and midazolam (0.2 mg kg-1) intramuscularly, and were randomly assigned to group R, 0.2-0.4 mL kg-1 of ropivacaine 0.5%, or group S, an equivalent volume of saline injected intratesticularly and along the incision line. If persistent motion was observed during surgery, sedation was considered to be insufficient and general anaesthesia was induced. Carprofen 2.2 mg kg-1 was administered postoperatively. Pain was evaluated in all dogs before sedation and postoperatively following atipamezole administration at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours using an interactive visual analogue scale (IVAS; 0-100), the Glasgow composite pain scale-short form (CMPS-SF; 0-24), and a mechanical algometer. Methadone 0.3 mg kg-1 was administered intravenously to dogs if IVAS >30 or CMPS-SF >4. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups for the number of dogs administered general anaesthesia. The time from the beginning of surgery to induction of general anaesthesia was significantly shorter [median (range)] in group S [6 (3-25) minutes] than in group R [56 (36-76) minutes]. At 8 hours IVAS was significantly higher in group S (14 ± 10) than in group R (6 ± 4). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intratesticular and incisional ropivacaine infiltration delayed the time to anaesthesia induction, and provided analgesia after castration performed under deep sedation in dogs. Intratesticular local anaesthesia can be an important part of the anaesthetic plan for castration.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether intratesticular and incisional ropivacaine infiltration produces sufficient intra- and postoperative analgesia for castrating dogs under sedation. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, blinded, controlled clinical study. ANIMALS: Twenty-three healthy dogs weighing 5.8-35.6 kg admitted for castration. METHODS:Dogs were sedated with medetomidine (0.01 mg kg-1), butorphanol (0.2 mg kg-1) and midazolam (0.2 mg kg-1) intramuscularly, and were randomly assigned to group R, 0.2-0.4 mL kg-1 of ropivacaine 0.5%, or group S, an equivalent volume of saline injected intratesticularly and along the incision line. If persistent motion was observed during surgery, sedation was considered to be insufficient and general anaesthesia was induced. Carprofen 2.2 mg kg-1 was administered postoperatively. Pain was evaluated in all dogs before sedation and postoperatively following atipamezole administration at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours using an interactive visual analogue scale (IVAS; 0-100), the Glasgow composite pain scale-short form (CMPS-SF; 0-24), and a mechanical algometer. Methadone 0.3 mg kg-1 was administered intravenously to dogs if IVAS >30 or CMPS-SF >4. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups for the number of dogs administered general anaesthesia. The time from the beginning of surgery to induction of general anaesthesia was significantly shorter [median (range)] in group S [6 (3-25) minutes] than in group R [56 (36-76) minutes]. At 8 hours IVAS was significantly higher in group S (14 ± 10) than in group R (6 ± 4). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intratesticular and incisional ropivacaine infiltration delayed the time to anaesthesia induction, and provided analgesia after castration performed under deep sedation in dogs. Intratesticular local anaesthesia can be an important part of the anaesthetic plan for castration.