• Elisa Bortolami, Joanna C Murrell, and Louisa S Slingsby.
• School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford, UK. elisa.bortolami@bristol.ac.uk
• Vet Anaesth Analg. 2013 Mar 1; 40 (2): 181-93.

ObjectiveTo investigate the safety, sedative and analgesic properties of methadone in combination with acepromazine prior to neutering in cats.Study DesignControlled clinical, block randomized, prospective, blinded study designed for regulatory purposes.Animals24 female and 21 male healthy cats.MethodsCats received one of three opioids combined with acepromazine (0.05 mg kg(-1) ) intramuscularly (IM) for premedication: Group 1: buprenorphine (0.02 mg kg(-1) ), group 2: methadone (0.5 mg kg(-1) ), group 3 butorphanol (0.4 mg kg(-1) ). Sedation was assessed 30 minutes after premedication using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and simple descriptive scale. Anaesthesia was induced with alfaxalone and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen. Surgical ovariohysterectomy or castration was performed. Pain was assessed using an interactive VAS (IVAS) and mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) with a pressure rate onset device. Methadone (0.5 mg kg(-1) IM) and meloxicam (0.2 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously) were provided 6 and 8 hours after premedication respectively, or together as rescue analgesia (IVAS above 50).ResultsSedation scores, induction agent dose, pain scores at all time points and rescue analgesia were not statistically different between groups. In methadone treated cats there was no significant variation in MNT over time, suggesting a possible anti-hyperalgesic action, whereas in the other two groups lower thresholds were recorded at various time points after surgery compared to baseline. No cats required rescue analgesia after the second dose of methadone. No perioperative adverse effects occurred.Conclusion And Clinical RelevanceMethadone provided comparable sedation and analgesia to both buprenorphine and butorphanol when combined with acepromazine. Differences in analgesic efficacy between opioids might have been undetectable because of the surgical model and surgeon competency. Nevertheless, methadone is an effective analgesic in cats and its administration prior to feline neutering may be advantageous.© 2012 The Authors. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. © 2012 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists.

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