A comparison of 0.375% ropivacaine psoas compartment block and 2% prilocaine spinal anaesthesia in dogs undergoing tibial plateau levelling osteotomy

BACKGROUND: In dogs undergoing routine elective orthopaedic surgeries carried out as same-day surgeries regional anaesthetic techniques (RATs) should aim to produce analgesia but minimising the postoperative motor dysfunction. Our objective was to compare the perioperative analgesic effects and the time to motor recovery between spinal anaesthesia (SA) with hyperbaric solution of prilocaine 2% (mg = 4 x [0.3 × BW (kg) + 0.05 × SCL (cm)]) and morphine (0.03 mg/kg) and combined ultrasound (US) and electro stimulator-guided psoas compartment and ischiatic nerve block (PB) with ropivacaine 0.375% (0.45 mL/kg). Dogs undergoing tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) were randomly assigned to receive either SA or PB. Procedural failure, perioperative rescue analgesia, motor block recovery and complications were recorded. RESULTS: Procedural failure rate (PFR) was 19% (7 out of 36) for SA and 9% (3 out of 32) for PB (p = 0.31). Intraoperative rescue analgesia was administered to 6/29 (21%) SA group dogs and in 15/29 (52%) PB group dogs, respectively (p = 0.03). At 3 h after RAT, percentage of dogs with complete block recovery was 25/29 (86%) and 25/29 (86%) in group SA and PB, respectively (p = 1). Two cases of pruritus and one case of urinary retention were recorded in the SA group. Residual ischiatic nerve block was noted at 12 h after RAT in 2/15 (13%) of dogs in group PB; it completely resolved 24 h after RAT. CONCLUSIONS: SA with prilocaine 2% and PB with ropivacaine 0.37% were found suitable for dogs undergoing same-day TPLO surgery. Pruritus and urinary retention in SA and residual block in both groups might occasionally delay the time of discharge. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-022-03277-6.