Comparing paracetamol/codeine and meloxicam for postoperative analgesia in dogs: a non-inferiority trial.

Background: There are limited published data on the analgesic efficacy of paracetamol/codeine in dogs.

Methods: Prospective, randomised, blinded, positive-controlled clinical trial with 70 dogs (paracetamol/codeine, n=46; meloxicam, n=24) undergoing surgery. Drugs were administered orally 2 hours before and for 48 hours after surgery at the licensed dose.

Use of midazolam in combination with medetomidine for premedication in healthy dogs.

Objective: To assess the sedative effects, propofol sparing properties and impact on quality of induction and intubation of intravenous (IV) medetomidine and midazolam administered consecutively at different doses compared to medetomidine alone in healthy dogs for premedication.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized, blinded, clinical study.

Animals: A total of 40 adult healthy client owned dogs, weighing 18 ± 7 kg (mean ± standard deviation).

Randomised clinical trial comparing clinically relevant sedation outcome measures in dogs after intramuscular administration of medetomidine in combination with midazolam or butorphanol for routine diagnostic imaging procedures.

The aim of this study was to investigate the sedative effects of medetomidine in combination with midazolam or butorphanol for routine imaging procedures in dogs. Eighty client owned dogs were recruited in a prospective, randomised, blinded clinical study and randomly assigned to receive one of four treatments intramuscularly (IM): (1) 30μg/kg medetomidine (Med30); (2) 20μg/kg medetomidine combined with 0.3mg/kg butorphanol (Med20But0.

Effect of intramuscular methadone on pharmacokinetic data and thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds in the cat.

Objectives The aim of the study was to assess simultaneous pharmacokinetics and thermal and mechanical antinociception after intramuscular methadone (0.6 mg/kg) in 10 cats. Methods Thermal and mechanical threshold (TT and MT, respectively) testing and blood collection were conducted at baseline and up to 24 h after administration.

Refinement of a thermal threshold probe to prevent burns.

Thermal threshold testing is commonly used for pain research. The stimulus may cause burning and merits prevention. Thermal probe modifications hypothesized to reduce burning were evaluated for practicality and effect.

Methadone in combination with medetomidine as premedication prior to ovariohysterectomy and castration in the cat.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the tolerability, sedative and analgesic effects of methadone in combination with medetomidine for premedication prior to neutering in healthy cats.

Methods: This was an assessor-blinded, randomised, clinical research study. Forty-five cats were recruited and divided into three treatment groups of 15.

The effects of an intravenous bolus of dexmedetomidine following extubation in a mixed population of dogs undergoing general anaesthesia and surgery.

An observer blinded, placebo controlled study evaluated the effects of 62.5 μg/m(2) dexmedetomidine administered IV on recovery from isoflurane anaesthesia in dogs. Forty-four healthy dogs, weighing 1.

Comparison of premedication with buprenorphine or methadone with meloxicam for postoperative analgesia in dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgery.

Objectives: To determine whether methadone, administered before orthopaedic surgery, results in improved postoperative analgesia compared to buprenorphine.

Methods: Thirty-eight dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgeries (the majority being tibial tuberosity advancement or elbow arthrotomy) were premedicated with 0 · 03 mg/kg acepromazine and either 20 µg/kg buprenorphine or 0 · 5 mg/kg methadone, intramuscularly, allocated randomly. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol intravenously to effect and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen.

Methadone in combination with acepromazine as premedication prior to neutering in the cat.

Objective: To investigate the safety, sedative and analgesic properties of methadone in combination with acepromazine prior to neutering in cats.

Study Design: Controlled clinical, block randomized, prospective, blinded study designed for regulatory purposes.

Animals: 24 female and 21 male healthy cats.

Comparison of two formulations of buprenorphine in cats administered by the oral transmucosal route.

This randomised, blinded, cross-over study investigated the ease of oral transmucosal administration of two formulations of buprenorphine using glucose as a control in 12 cats. The cats received three treatments: buprenorphine multi-dose, buprenorphine and the equivalent volume of glucose 5%. Ease of treatment administration, observation of swallowing, changes in pupil size, sedation, salivation, vomiting, behaviour and food intake were assessed.

Buprenorphine in combination with naloxone at a ratio of 15:1 does not enhance antinociception from buprenorphine in healthy cats.

Naloxone can enhance the antinociceptive/analgesic effects of buprenorphine in humans and rats. The antinociceptive effects of a patented 15:1 buprenorphine:naloxone combination was investigated in cats using a thermal and mechanical nociceptive model. Twelve cats received buprenorphine 10 μg/kg, naloxone 0.

A study to evaluate buprenorphine at 40 μg kg(-1) compared to 20 μg kg(-1) as a post-operative analgesic in the dog.

Objective: Comparison of the analgesic effect of buprenorphine at 20 or 40 μg kg(-1) .

Study Design: An investigator 'blinded', randomised study.

Animals: Twenty six dogs presented for ovariohysterectomy.

A small, silent, low friction, linear actuator for mechanical nociceptive testing in veterinary research.

Air pressure is commonly used to drive a mechanical stimulus for nociceptive threshold testing. This may be bulky, noisy, non-linear and suffer from friction, hence development of a better system is described. A novel, light (14 g) rolling diaphragm actuator was constructed, which supplied 20 N force via a constant actuation area irrespective of the pressure and position in the stroke.

Combination of dexmedetomidine with buprenorphine enhances the antinociceptive effect to a thermal stimulus in the cat compared with either agent alone.

Objective: To evaluate the sedative and antinociceptive effects of combinations of dexmedetomidine and buprenorphine in cats.

Study Design: Experimental randomized study.

Animals: Twelve purpose-bred neutered domestic short-hair cats (4 male and 8 female) weighing 4.

Thermal antinociception after dexmedetomidine administration in cats: a comparison between intramuscular and oral transmucosal administration.

Dexmedetomidine 40microg/kg was administered either intramuscularly (IM) or oral transmucosally (OTM) to 12 cats in a randomised cross-over study. Thermal nociceptive thresholds and visual analogue scale (VAS) sedation scores were obtained before and at regular intervals up to 24h after test drug administration. The summary measures of overall mean threshold, overall mean VAS sedation plus onset, offset and duration of analgesia were investigated using a univariate general linear model.

Thermal antinociception after dexmedetomidine administration in cats: a dose-finding study.

The optimum dose of dexmedetomidine for antinociception to a thermal stimulus was determined in a crossover study of 12 cats. In five treatment groups (n = 10 per group), dexmedetomidine was administered intramuscularly (i.m.

Attitudes of veterinary nurses to the assessment of pain and the use of pain scales.

In April 2004, a questionnaire was distributed to veterinary nurses across the UK to assess their attitudes towards the assessment and management of pain in practice. During the six-week collection period, a total of 541 questionnaires were returned, of which 24 (4.25 per cent) were discounted due to completion errors.

Effects of two doses of buprenorphine four or six hours apart on nociceptive thresholds, pain and sedation in dogs after castration.

Twenty-eight dogs were randomly allocated into two groups. They were premedicated with either 10 or 20 microg/kg buprenorphine and 0.05 mg/kg acepromazine administered intramuscularly, and then anaesthetised with intravenous thiopentone to effect and maintained with isoflurane in 100 per cent oxygen.

A comparison between pre-operative carprofen and a long-acting sufentanil formulation for analgesia after ovariohysterectomy in dogs.

Objective: To assess the analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of a novel, long-acting sufentanil preparation in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy (OHE).

Study Design: Blinded, positively controlled, randomized field trial with four parallel treatment groups.

Animals: Eighty client owned dogs undergoing elective OHE randomly allocated into four treatment groups (each n = 20).

Comparison between meloxicam and carprofen for postoperative analgesia after feline ovariohysterectomy.

Eighty female cats presented for ovariohysterectomy were randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups in this assessor-blinded trial. After pre-anaesthetic assessment, the cats were premedicated with acepromazine (0.1 mg/kg).

Use of a new finger-mounted device to compare mechanical nociceptive thresholds in cats given pethidine or no medication after castration.

Mechanical nociceptive thresholds are regularly used to determine the efficacy of analgesic agents both experimentally and clinically in a variety of species. The 'pressure of palpation device' (PPD) was developed for use in cats and is a small battery operated device with a finger-mounted force sensing resistor (FSR, Interlink Electronics, Northumberland. UK).

Analgesic effects in dogs of carprofen and pethidine together compared with the effects of either drug alone.

Thirty bitches undergoing routine neutering were used in an assessor-blinded trial of the postoperative analgesic effects of pethidine and carprofen administered either together or singly. The level of analgesia was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain and sedation and by nociceptive mechanical threshold testing. The two drugs administered together, and carprofen alone, provided good postoperative analgesia as assessed by VAS scoring.

Postoperative analgesia in the cat after ovariohysterectomy by use of carprofen, ketoprofen, meloxicam or tolfenamic acid.

The adequacy of postoperative analgesia was assessed in 40 cats following ovariohysterectomy. At extubation, cats were given one dose of carprofen, ketoprofen, meloxicam or tolfenamic acid. Postoperative analgesia was assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS) scoring for pain and sedation; measurement of mechanical nociceptive thresholds at the wound; recognition of the requirement for rescue intervention analgesia; and an overall clinical assessment score at 18 hours.