The need for opioid in the postoperative analgesia of dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy due to intervertebral disc extrusion

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative analgesic effect of protocols with and without the opioid methadone in dogs with intervertebral disc extrusion undergoing decompressive surgery. Sixteen paraplegic dogs with preserved nociception underwent hemilaminectomy/disc fenestration and were randomly assigned to two groups. The analgesic protocol consisted of methadone, meloxicam and dipyrone in Group I (G1), and meloxicam and dipyrone in Group II (G2). The animals were blindly assessed by two observers, using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the short-form Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (CMPS-SF). Assessments occurred every 2 hours during first 24 hours post-surgery, and every 4 hours afterwards. There was no statistical difference among groups regarding pain scores or analgesic rescues. Both analgesic protocols provided analgesia in the initial 48 hours postoperatively, demonstrating that opioids are not necessary in the postoperative period of dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy and disc fenestration.