Multicenter, randomized controlled trial of pain-related behaviors following routine neutering in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the degree of postoperative pain in dogs undergoing elective castration or ovariohysterectomy (OHE); determine whether an association exists between surgeon experience, incision length, or surgery duration and degree of postoperative pain; and determine whether analgesic treatment decreases expression of postoperative pain behaviors.


METHODS
Randomized controlled clinical trial.


METHODS
426 client-owned dogs undergoing OHE or castration.


METHODS
Dogs underwent OHE or castration performed by an experienced veterinarian or a fourth-year veterinary student. Dogs were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: no perioperative analgesic treatment (n = 44), preoperative administration of morphine (144), preoperative administration of nalbuphine (119), and postoperative administration of ketoprofen (119). Dogs were evaluated while in the hospital before anesthesia and for 4 hours after surgery and once a day at home for 3 days after surgery.


RESULTS
Dogs in all 4 groups had significant increases in overall pain scores after surgery, compared with baseline scores. There were significant differences among groups, with control dogs having significantly higher increases in overall pain scores than dogs in the other groups. Factors that did not influence the frequency or severity of pain-related behaviors included breed, individual hospital, anesthetic induction protocol, surgeon experience, and duration of surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggested that dogs expressed behaviors suggestive of pain following OHE and castration, that analgesic treatment mitigated the expression of pain-related behaviors, and that surgeon experience and surgery duration did not have any effect on expression of pain-related behaviors.
Wagner
Ann E
AE
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Worland
Grace A
GA
Glawe
J Christopher
JC
Hellyer
Peter W
PW
D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004285:Dogs / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D007660:Ketoprofen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009266:Nalbuphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000662:veterinary; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000662:veterinary; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000662:veterinary; D013997:Time Factors
D009020:Morphine; D007660:Ketoprofen; D009266:Nalbuphine