Analgesic efficacy of meloxicam for postoperative pain management in cats: local versus systemic administration

• Grant number: 17/21782-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Renata Navarro Cassu
• Grantee: Ana Beatriz Flávio Stelle
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE). Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare the analgesic efficacy of local and systemic administration of meloxicam in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Thirty female cats will be distributed into two groups of fifteen cats each: ML: local infiltration of meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg) and subcutaneous administration of saline solution; MS: subcutaneous administration of meloxicam and local infiltration of saline solution. Local meloxicam or saline infiltration will be performed into to mesovarium, uterinus cervix and the line of incision after the establishment of general anesthesia. For the surgical procedure, all cats will be sedated with intramuscular acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg) in combination with pethidine (6 mg/kg). Fifteen minutes after sedation, anesthesia will be induced with propofol (dose effect) and maintained with isoflurane/O2. Postoperative analgesia and hyperalgesia will be assessed for the first 24 hours post-extubation using an Interactive Visual Analog Scale (IVAS), UNESP-Botucatu Multidimensional Composite Pain Scale (MCPS) and von Frey filaments. Rescue analgesia will be provided with intramuscular morphine (0.1 mg/kg) if the pain scores exceeded 33% of MCPS. The degree of sedation will be evaluated using a score system. All data will be submitted to analysis of variance followed by Tukey's test for parametric measures and Kruskall-Wallis with post-Dunn test for nonparametric measures. (AU)