• Tatiana F Almeida, Denise T Fantoni, Sandra Mastrocinque, Angelica C Tatarunas, and Viviane H Imagawa.
• Surgery Department, School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnic, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
• J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 2007 Jan 1;230(1):45-51.

ObjectiveTo compare cardiovascular and systemic effects and analgesia during the postoperative period of epidural anesthesia performed with bupivacaine alone or with fentanyl or sufentanil in bitches maintained at a light plane of anesthesia with continuous infusion of propofol.Study DesignProspective randomized masked clinical trial.Animals30 female dogs of various breeds.ProceduresDogs were allocated into 3 groups of 10 each. One group received fentanyl (2 microg/kg [0.91 microg/lb]) and bupivacaine (1 mg/kg [0.45 mg/lb]), 1 group received sufentanil (1 microg/kg) and bupivacaine (1 mg/kg), and 1 group received bupivacaine (1 mg/kg). All dogs received acepromazine (0.1 mg/kg [0.045 mg/lb]) and continuous infusion of propofol for sedation. The agents were administered into the lumbosacral space and diluted in saline (0.9% NaCl) solution to a total volume of 0.36 mL/kg (0.164 mL/lb). Cardiac and respiratory rates, arterial blood pressures, pH, and blood gases were evaluated. Analgesia, sedation level, serum cortisol concentrations, and plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured regularly for 6 hours.ResultsNo important changes in cardiovascular, respiratory, or sedation variables were observed. Degree of analgesia in the postoperative period was higher in the sufentanil group, although use of fentanyl and bupivacaine also resulted in a sufficient level of analgesia.Conclusions And Clinical RelevanceUse of the 3 anesthetic techniques permitted ovariohysterectomy with sufficient analgesia and acceptable neuroendocrine modulation of pain with minimal adverse effects.

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