title: Analgesic and motor-blocking action of epidurally administered levobupivacaine or bupivacaine in the conscious dog.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the analgesic and motor-blocking effects of epidurally administered levobupivacaine and bupivacaine in the conscious dog.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized, cross-over study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six adult female Beagle dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each animal received three doses of levobupivacaine or bupivacaine (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg kg(-1); concentrations 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75%, respectively) in a total volume of 0.2 mL kg(-1) by means of a chronically implanted epidural catheter. Onset, duration (through pinch response in the sacral, lumbar and toe areas) and degree of analgesia and motor-blocking status was determined with a scoring system and at regular intervals over 8.5 hours before (baseline) and after drug administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epidurally administered levobupivacaine and bupivacaine had a similar dose-dependent analgesic action with no significant differences in onset (range: 5-8 minutes), duration (bupivacaine: 42 +/- 28, 135 +/- 68 and 265 +/- 68 minutes, and levobupivacaine: 28 +/- 33, 79 +/- 55 and 292 +/- 133 minutes; 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75%, respectively) or maximum degree of analgesia. However, levobupivacaine tended to produce a shorter duration of motor block than bupivacaine and the difference in the motor to nociceptive blockade times was significant at the highest dose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epidural levobupivacaine produced an analgesic action similar to that of bupivacaine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Epidural levobupivacaine is suitable for clinical use in dogs, mostly at the highest dose if a high degree of analgesia is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University Complutense, Madrid, Spain. iagsegura@vet.ucm.es
authors.forename: Ignacio A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Gomez de Segura
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menafro
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García-Fernández
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murillo
authors.forename: Elba M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Parodi
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007268:Injections, Epidural / Q000662:veterinary*; D000077554:Levobupivacaine; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077554:Levobupivacaine; D002045:Bupivacaine