Contribution to the Study of Perioperative Factors Affecting the Restoration of Dog’s Mobility after Femoral Head and Neck Excision: A Clinical Study in 30 Dogs

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Femoral head and neck excision is a common and straightforward surgical procedure that provides pain relief for dogs with severe coxofemoral joint disease. Early mobilization of the coxofemoral joint after surgery promotes the development of a fibrous pseudo-articulation with an improved range of motion. In this study, we explored three analgesic protocols (preoperative epidural anesthesia with morphine, intraoperative ropivacaine at the ostectomy site, and postoperative tramadol) either individually or in combination, as part of the standard analgesic protocol for managing 30 dogs undergoing femoral head and neck excision. The aim was to investigate their impact on the time it took for the dogs to bear weight on the limb. Clinical parameters, algometer measurements, and various scale scores were used to evaluate the outcomes. The study concluded that multimodal analgesia, incorporating the aforementioned analgesic techniques, resulted in faster weight bearing for dogs with femoral head and neck excision. ABSTRACT: This study aimed to compare postoperative analgesia and the time of limb weight bearing induced by the intraoperative administration of a local anesthetic at the site of the femoral head and neck excision (FHNE) in dogs, with and without the administration of preoperative epidural anesthesia. Additionally, the impact of postoperative opioid drug administration on weight-bearing time was examined. This randomized, blinded, prospective clinical study included 30 client-owned dogs. The dogs were randomly divided into three groups (A, B, C), each further divided into two subgroups (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2). Group A received epidural anesthesia and ropivacaine at the ostectomy site, Group B received only ropivacaine, and Group C served as the control group. Subgroup 1 received a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug postoperatively, while Subgroup 2 had tramadol added to their regimen. Pain assessment was conducted using the University of Melbourne Pain Scale (UMPS) and an algometer. The study concluded that multimodal analgesia, utilizing all the aforementioned analgesic techniques, resulted in faster limb weight bearing for dogs undergoing FHNE.