EVALUATION OF A PROTOCOL FOR DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRETREATMENT WITH LOCAL ANALGESICS FOR REDUCING EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED ARTICULAR PAIN IN DOMESTIC-FOWL

An experimental paradigm based on the microcrystalline sodium urate-in duced arthritis model was developed for determining the effectivenss a nd optimum dose of drugs with potential local analgesic properties for the diagnosis and alleviation of musculoskeletal pain in birds. The o ptimum intra articular injection of sodium urate was 6 mg in 0.2 mi di luent in 12-week-old male domestic fowl of 1.5 kg live weight. The res ponse criteria were changes in behavioural profiles over 60 minutes co mmencing one hour after intra-articular injection. The testing system was used to determine the optimum rate of intra-articular application of the local anaesthetic bupivacaine hydrochloride. The behavioural pr ofile of treated birds was restored to that of the controls at a minim al injection of 3 mg in 0.3 mi saline. It was concluded that the optim um intra-articular dose of bupivacaine for the treatment of musculoske letal pain in the domestic fowl was 3 mg bupivacaine in 0.3 mi saline.