Efficacy of intravenous phenylbutazone for pain management in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and analgesic duration of single dose of PBZ administered the IV route immediately before induction of anesthesia in dogs undergoing elective OVH. Eight-teeen sexually intact female dogs (weiging between 4.5 and 28 kg, and 1 to 8 yrs of age) referred for OVH procedure from a local shelter at regular intervals over 4 months were included in the study. The dogs were administered PBZ on the basis of their respective treatment group (20 mg/kg, IV administration) immediately before anesthetic induction. For the IV treatment, PBZ was administered over a period of one minute. Time of completion of PBZ administration was designed as time 0. In control group, 0.9% NaCl was administered IV as over a period of one minute. Throughout the study, pre and postoperative pain was assessed at baseline (before induction of anesthesia) and then at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 8, and 24 hrs after the surgery. Group IV had significantly lower CMPS-SF scores than the control group at the 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 8 hour postoperative periods. In conclusion, a single dose of PBZ administered via the IV route before surgery may be particularly beneficial for acheiving reasonable perioperative analgesia, but not in postoperative period.