• Paulina Haro, Francisco Laredo, Francisco Gil, Eliseo Belda, María D Ayala, Marta Soler, and Amalia Agut.
• Cathedra's Researcher of National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) of Mexico, assigned to Autonomous University of Yucatan, Regional Research Centre 'Dr Hideyo Noguchi', Merida, Mexico paulina.haro@correo.uady.mx.
• J. Feline Med. Surg. 2015 Jun 5.

ObjectivesThis study was conducted to validate the dorsal approach for femoral nerve (FN) blockade in cats and to verify the efficacy of the sole use of peripheral nerve electrolocation (PNE) or ultrasound (US)-guided technique to achieve the block.MethodsThis study was carried out in two phases. In phase 1, five adult experimental cats were used to validate the approach. In each cat, one FN was located by US and the accuracy of this location confirmed by PNE. Then, 2 mg/kg lidocaine 2% (diluted in saline to a final volume of 1 ml) was injected around the target nerve and the success of the blockade was evaluated. In phase 2, four adult experimental cats were included in two groups to verify the reliability of this approach to block eight FNs by the sole use of PNE (group 1) or US-guided technique (group 2). Evidence of motor blockade, time required to perform the blockade, onset time and duration of the blockades were determined.ResultsThe FN was successfully located by US in all cats enrolled in phase 1, as confirmed by PNE in all cases. The success rate was clinically higher in group 2 (87.5%) than in group 1 (75.0%). The US-guided technique required less time to perform and produced blocks of longer duration. Recovery was uneventful in all cases.Conclusions And RelevanceThe combined use of PNE and US-guided technique enabled validation of the dorsal approach for the FN blockade as it provided a successful FN blockade in all cases. The sole use of a US-guided technique may offer some advantages over the use of a sole PNE-guided technique to perform these blocks.© ISFM and AAFP 2015.

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