Effects of electroacupuncture on urinary function and postoperative pain in dogs undergoing cystotomy

• Grant number: 24/18512-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Renata Navarro Cassu
• Grantee: Lucca Garcia Oliveira Gil
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of electroacupuncture on urinary function and postoperative pain in dogs undergoing cystotomy diagnosed with bladder uroliths. In a prospective, blinded, controlled clinical trial, 24 dogs will be premedicated with acepromazine (0.025 mg/kg) combined with morphine (0.3 mg/kg) by intramuscular route. Anesthesia will be induced with intravenous propofol (dose-effect) and maintained with isoflurane/O2. Immediately after intubation, the dogs will receive an epidural anesthesia with morphine (0.1 mg/kg) combined with 0.5% bupivacaine (0.5 mg/kg), diluted in saline solution to a final volume of 0.2 mL/kg. After extubation and the sensitive blocked return, the dogs will be treated during 15 minutes with electroacupuncture (EA group, n = 12) or not (Control group, n = 12). The number of spontaneous urination, the interval between epidural anesthesia and the first urination, and the residual urinary volume by ultrasonography examination will be recorded. Sedation and analgesic degrees will be assessed preoperatively and 12 hours after extubation using sedation scoring, and the short-form of the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale (CMPS-SF). Morphine (0.2 mg/kg) will be administered intravenously, as rescue analgesia. Numerical data will be submitted to analysis of variance followed by Tukey's test for parametric measures and Mann-Whitney U test with post-Dunn test for nonparametric measures (p < 0.05).