COMPARISON OF CARPROFEN AND PETHIDINE AS POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESICS IN THE CAT

The postoperative analgesia and sedation in cats given carprofen (4.0 mg/kg bodyweight by subcutaneous injection preoperatively) was compare d to that in cats given pethidine (3.3 mg/kg bodyweight by intramuscul ar injection postoperatively) in a controlled, randomised, blinded, mu lticentre clinical trial. Further dosing with the particular analgesic was allowed if a cat was exhibiting unacceptable pain. In total, 57 c arprofen cases and 59 pethidine cases were evaluated. Significantly fe wer cats in the carprofen group required additional doses of analgesic , and mean pain scores were significantly lower from four hours after ovariohysterectomy, and at 18 to 24 hours after castration, compared t o the pethidine group. In conclusion, carprofen provided as good a lev el of postoperative analgesia as pethidine, but of a longer duration ( at least 24 hours) and was well tolerated. It thus provides an option for 'pre-emptive analgesia' in cats about to undergo surgery.