Preemptive carprofen for peri-operative analgesia in dogs undergoing Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO): A prospective, randomized, blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial

Eighteen client-owned dogs undergoing Tibial Plateau Leveling osteotomy (TPLO) were included in this blinded clinical study and randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Group C (carprofen) received intravenous (IV) carprofen, 4 mg/kg, prior to anesthesia, whereas group P (placebo) received IV saline. General anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen and a constant rate infusion (CRI) of sufentanyl IV. Intra-operatively, assessment of nociception was based on changes in physiological parameters and on the analgesics requirement, whereas in the postoperative period evaluation of pain was performed by using a Hellyer and Gaynor pain score and by comparing the doses of rescue buprenorphine required by the two treatment groups. Although no statistically significant differences in intra-operative sufentanyl doses were found between treatment groups, group C had superior cardiovascular stability, and lower postoperative pain scores and rescue buprenorphine doses than group P. Our results indicate that administration of carprofen prior to surgery was effective in improving pen-operative analgesia in dogs undergoing TPLO.