The analgesic effects of buprenorphine (Vetergesic or Simbadol) in cats undergoing dental extractions: A randomized, blinded, clinical trial

This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of two dosage regimens using two different concentrations of buprenorphine in cats undergoing dental extractions. Twenty-three cats with oral disease (8.2 ± 2.2 years old; 4.9 ± 0.9 kg) were included in a prospective, blinded, randomized clinical trial. Cats randomly received either Simbadol (1.8 mg/mL; 0.24 mg/kg, subcutaneously, every 24h: SG, n = 11) or Vetergesic (0.3 mg/mL; 0.02 mg/kg, intramuscularly, every 8h: VG, n = 12) throughout the study. They were admitted at day 0, underwent oral examination/radiographs/treatment under general anesthesia (buprenorphine-propofol-isoflurane-meloxicam-local anesthetic blocks) at day 1 and discharged at day 4. Sedation and pain were scored using the dynamic interactive visual analog scale (day 1) and the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale-Feline (CMPS-F; up to postoperative 8 hours at day 1, 8 am, 4 pm and midnight at days 2 and 3, and 8 am at day 4), respectively. Rescue analgesia was administered with hydromorphone (0.05 mg/kg intravenously on day 1 or 0.1 mg/kg intramuscularly after day 2) when CMPS-F ≥ 5. Resentment defined as any type of escape behavior associated with aversion to drug administration was recorded. Sedation and pain scores, the prevalence of rescue analgesia and resentment during drug administration were analyzed using linear mixed models and Fisher’s exact test, respectively (p < 0.05). Pain and sedation scores were not significantly different between groups. Sedation scores were significantly higher up to postoperative 2 hours in both groups. Pain scores in SG and VG were significantly higher up to postoperative 8 hours and 8 am of day 2, respectively, than baseline. Prevalence of rescue analgesia and resentment were not significantly different between groups (SG: 27.3%, VG: 33.3% and SG: 0%, VG: 25%, respectively). Simbadol produced similar analgesic effects to Vetergesic without resentment during drug administration.