Effect of meloxicam and carprofen on renal function when administered to healthy dogs prior to anesthesia and painful stimulation.

Objective: To determine whether administration of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs meloxicam or carprofen to healthy dogs that were subsequently anesthetized and subjected to painful electrical stimulation has adverse effects on renal function as measured by glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and evaluation of serum concentrations of urea and creatinine.

Animals: 6 male and 6 female healthy young-adult Beagles.

Procedure: A study was conducted in accordance with a randomized crossover Latin-square design. One of 3 treatments (saline [0.9% NaCl] solution, 0.2 mg of meloxicam/kg, or 4.0 mg of carprofen/kg) was administered i.v. 1 hour before anesthesia was induced by use of drugs in accordance with a standard anesthetic protocol (butorphanol tartrate and acepromazine maleate as preanesthetic medications, ketamine hydrochloride and diazepam for induction, and maintenance with isoflurane). Anesthetized dogs were subjected to intermittent electrical stimulation for 30 minutes. Direct, mean arterial blood pressure; heart rate; and respiratory rate were monitored. End-tidal isoflurane concentration was maintained at 1.5 times the minimum alveolar concentration. The GFR, as measured by plasma clearance of 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, and serum concentrations of serum and creatinine were determined 24 hours after induction of anesthesia.

Results: Neither meloxicam nor carprofen significantly affected GFR or serum concentrations of urea and creatinine, compared with values for the saline treatment.

Conclusions And Clinical Relevance: When administered 1 hour before onset of anesthesia and painful electrical stimulation, meloxicam or carprofen did not cause clinically important alterations of renal function in young healthy dogs.