OBJECTIVE
To evaluate and compare postoperative analgesic effects of grapiprant and carprofen in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.
ANIMALS
42 sexually intact female healthy dogs (< 35 kg and 0.5 to 7 years old) were enrolled.
PROCEDURES
In a masked, randomized, noninferiority clinical trial, dogs received either 2 mg/kg of grapiprant or 4.4 mg/kg of carprofen orally 2 hours prior to ovariohysterectomy. Postoperative pain was assessed using the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale–Short Form (GCPS-SF) at extubation and 2, 4, 6, 8, 18, and 24 hours postextubation and compared to baseline. After each pain scoring, mechanical nociceptive testing with von Frey monofilaments (vF) was performed to assess hyperalgesia. Hydromorphone (0.05 mg/kg, IM) was administered to any dog with a GCPS-SF of ≥ 5/24. The noninferiority limit (NI) for the GCPS-SF was Δ = 3. The NI for vF was Δ = –0.2. Following noninferiority, a mixed-effect ANOVA and post hoc comparisons were made with the Tukey correction method (P < .05).
RESULTS
3 dogs required rescue analgesia and were excluded from statistical analysis. Of the remaining 39 dogs, the upper CI for GCPS-SF was below the NI of 3 and the lower CI for vF was greater than the NI of –0.2, indicating noninferiority of grapiprant as compared to carprofen. There was no difference between treatment (P = .89) nor treatment by time (P = .62) for GCPS-SF. There was no difference between groups at any time point or over time when vF were used.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Our study results support the use of grapiprant as an analgesic alternative to carprofen in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.
Compared with intravenous and intramuscular methods, intranasal administration of sedatives is a less invasive and nonpainful technique. In this prospective, randomized, crossover study, we evaluated the sedative characteristics of 2 doses(1 and 2 mg/kg) of alfaxalone administered intranasally to 7 adult Yucatan swine. We compared sedation scores before andafter administration of alfaxalone and between groups by using a composite sedation scoring system (range, 0 to 12, with12 being the highest level of sedation)). Pigs were randomly assigned to receive 2 doses of intranasal alfaxalone (1 mg/kg[A1]); 2 mg/kg [A2]) as 2 separate events in a crossover design with a 60-d washout period. Categories scored were posture,palpebral droop, uninhibited behavior, drowsiness, and acceptance of anesthetic facemask. Sedation scores were collected before sedation was administered and then every 3 min for 30 min afterward. Instilled volumes (mean ± 1 SD) were 5.7 ± 0.5 and 11.3 ± 0.8 mL for A1 and A2, respectively. Both alfaxalone doses produced significant increases in sedation scores compared with baseline. Median sedation scores for A1 (6; range, 4–12) were not different from those for A2 (6; range, 6 to 12). Intranasal administration of alfaxalone as the sole sedative agent increased sedation scores from baseline, achieving peak sedation at 6 to 9 min after instillation of A2. However, sedation scores were similar between the 2 groups, and neither dose produced sufficient sedation to facilitate handling or the performance of any clinical procedures. Given the concentration of alfaxalone solution currently available, volume is the major limiting factor regarding testing higher doses of this drug for its use as a sole sedative agent in swine.
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