Meloxicam vs robenacoxib for postoperative pain management in dogs undergoing combined laparoscopic ovariectomy and laparoscopic-assisted gastropexy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To compare meloxicam and robenacoxib for short-term postoperative pain management after combined laparoscopic ovariectomy and laparoscopic-assisted gastropexy.

STUDY DESIGN:

Double-blind, prospective, randomised clinical trial.

ANIMALS:

Twenty-six client-owned female dogs.

METHODS:

Dogs undergoing combined laparoscopic ovariectomy and laparoscopic-assisted gastropexy were randomly divided into 2 groups. Before induction of anesthesia, 13 dogs received meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg subcutaneously), and 13 dogs received robenacoxib (2 mg/kg subcutaneously). Pain was scored with the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale (short form) before surgery and at 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after extubation. Rescue analgesia (tramadol, 3 mg/kg) was provided to dogs with a Glasgow pain score (GPS) ≥5. Glasgow pain scores were analyzed by ANOVA with treatment, age, and surgical time as fixed factors.

RESULTS:

Glasgow pain scores were higher at 24 hours postsurgery in dogs treated with robenacoxib (2.18 ± 0.29) compared with those treated with meloxicam (0.68 ± 0.41, P = .04). Two dogs treated with meloxicam and 7 dogs treated with robenacoxib required rescue analgesia. Regardless of the treatment, the overall GPS was lower at 18 and 24 hours postsurgery when the surgical time was >40 minutes compared with surgical times ≤40 minutes, but surgical site inflammation was likely a confounding factor in this finding. Glasgow pain score was not affected by patient age.

CONCLUSION:

Meloxicam was more effective than robenacoxib at controlling pain in the population of dogs reported here.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

Preoperative administration of meloxicam effectively controls pain for 24 hours after combined laparoscopic ovariectomy and laparoscopic-assisted gastropexy, but rescue analgesia may be required.

• Authors: Cristiano Bendinelli, Roberto Properzi, Paolo Boschi, Carla Bresciani, Erica Rocca, Alberto Sabbioni, Fabio Leonardi
• Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS (Vet Surg) Vol. 48 Issue 4 Pg. 578-583 (May 2019) ISSN: 1532-950X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30637777 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Veterinary, Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2019 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Phenylacetates
• Diphenylamine
• Meloxicam
• robenacoxib

Topics

• Analgesia (veterinary)
• Anesthesia
• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (therapeutic use)
• Diphenylamine (analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Dogs
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Gastropexy (adverse effects, veterinary)
• Laparoscopy
• Meloxicam (therapeutic use)
• Ovariectomy (adverse effects, veterinary)
• Pain Management (veterinary)
• Pain Measurement (veterinary)
• Pain, Postoperative (prevention & control, veterinary)
• Phenylacetates (therapeutic use)
• Prospective Studies
• Random Allocation