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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of intranasal (IN) flunixin meglumine (FM) and intra-inguinal (IG) lidocaine on castration inflammation using prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentration as a biomarker. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in March 2022. Blood was collected at -24, 1, and 24 hours postcastration for PGE2 quantification from 195 piglets that received 1 of 8 treatments: (1) saline (1.5 mL) applied IG and IN (0.2 mL) followed by surgical castration (n = 24); (2) saline (1.5 mL) IG and IN (0.2 mL) followed by sham castration (25); (3) lidocaine (20 mg/kg or 1.5 mL) IG followed by surgical castration (24); (4) lidocaine (20 mg/kg or 1.5 mL) IG followed by sham castration (25); (5) FM (2.2 mg/kg) IN followed by surgical castration (25); (6) FM (2.2 mg/kg) IN followed by sham castration (24); (7) lidocaine (20 mg/kg or 1.5 mL) IG and FM (2.2 mg/kg) IN followed by surgical castration (24); and (8) lidocaine (20 mg/kg or 1.5 mL) IG and FM (2.2 mg/kg) IN followed by sham castration (24). RESULTS: Prostaglandin E2 concentrations did not increase following the castration procedure and were not an effective biomarker of castration inflammation. Piglets that received lidocaine demonstrated no difference in PGE2 levels across all time points. Piglets administered FM had lower PGE2 concentrations at 1 hour and 20 minutes postdrug administration in both the sham and castrated piglets. CONCLUSIONS: Prostaglandin E2 was not an effective biomarker to quantify castration inflammation. Flunixin meglumine was able to reduce PGE2 concentration in piglets regardless of castration procedure, but lidocaine had no impact. Decreased PGE2 levels in FM-treated pigs are likely associated with the drug's ability to mitigate a noncastration-associated inflammatory process occurring independent of the castration procedure. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Flunixin meglumine reduced circulating PGE2 concentration in the blood, regardless of the castration procedure, indicating a potential for the drug to mitigate an inflammatory process unrelated to castration.

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Pain assessment guides decision-making in pain management and improves animal welfare. We aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the UNESP-Botucatu cattle pain scale (UCAPS) and the cow pain scale (CPS) for postoperative pain assessment in Bos taurus (Angus) and Bos indicus (Nelore) bulls after castration. METHODS: Ten Nelore and nine Angus bulls were anaesthetised with xylazine-ketamine-diazepam-isoflurane-flunixin meglumine. Three-minute videos were recorded at -48 h, preoperative, after surgery, after rescue analgesia and at 24 h. Two evaluators assessed 95 randomised videos twice one month apart. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the pain scores between breeds. Intra and inter-rater reliability varied from good (>0.70) to very good (>0.81) for all scales. The criterion validity showed a strong correlation (0.76-0.78) between the numerical rating scale and VAS versus UCAPS and CPS, and between UCAPS and CPS (0.76). The UCAPS and CPS were responsive; all items and total scores increased after surgery. Both scales were specific (81-85%) and sensitive (82-87%). The cut-off point for rescue analgesia was >4 for UCAPS and >3 for CPS. CONCLUSIONS: The UCAPS and CPS are valid and reliable to assess postoperative pain in Bos taurus and Bos indicus bulls.

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This study aimed to evaluate the effects of reticulated hyaluronic acid (HA) alone or associated with whole-body vibration (WBV) in dogs with osteoarthritis due to hip dysplasia. Fourteen dogs were randomized assigned into 2 groups of 7 animals: Group 1 (G1) - single intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid; Group 2 (G2) - single intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid associated with WBV sessions. The affected hip joint received 0.70 mL of reticulated HA guided by ultrasound. Dogs were submitted to a single session of WBV (30 and 50 Hz, for 15 min) every 48 hours for 12 weeks. Dogs were evaluated for morphometric measurements; orthopedic, radiographic and lameness scores of the hip joints; kinetic analysis; and ultrassonographic measurement of the following muscles: middle gluteal, vastus lateralis and biceps femoris. The morphometric measurements, lameness scores, and muscle measurements were conducted at 10 minutes before treatments (TP0), and at days 30 (TP30), 60 (TP60) and 90 (TP90) after treatments. The orthopedic and radiographic scores and kinetic analysis were performed at TP0 and TP90. The scores of lameness showed a statistical decrease in G1 and G2 between time-points. Significant decreases (P = .01) were observed in orthopedic scores in both groups between time-points. The Peak Vertical Force between TP0 and TP90 was significantly higher in G2 (P = .01). Vertical Impulse was null in G1 and positive in G2. Dogs treated with single intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid alone and associated with WBV had beneficial effects in dogs with osteoarthritis due to hip dysplasia, however the association of viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid and WBV had an earlier improvement clinical outcome and allowed better kinetic results.

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BACKGROUND: This prospective, randomised and blind study investigated the efficacy of laserpuncture for postoperative pain management in dogs. METHOD: Sixteen bitches were sedated with acepromazine and randomly treated before ovariohysterectomy with meloxicam 0.2 mg·kg-1 intramuscular or laserpuncture (wavelength 904 mm, frequency 124 Hz, potency 10 Joules, 100 s in each acupoint). Anaesthesia was performed with propofol, isoflurane/O2, and fentanyl. The Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (GCMPS) and Dynamic Interactive Visual Analog Scale (DIVAS) were used to evaluate postoperative pain before and for 24 h after surgery. Morphine was administrated as rescue analgesia when pain scores were ≥3.33 (GCMPS). Differences between treatments, time points, and amount of rescue analgesia between groups were investigated by the Mann-Whitney test and the area under the curve (AUC) for GCMPS, Friedman, and Chi-squared tests, respectively (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Dogs treated with laserpuncture presented lower GCMPS AUC for 24 h and lower GCMPS scores at 2 and 4 h postoperatively (p = 0.04). Three dogs treated with meloxicam required postoperatively rescue analgesia against none treated with laserpuncture. CONCLUSIONS: In this preliminary study, laserpuncture mitigated postoperative pain in dogs following ovariohysterectomy, and the technique is a promising adjunct to perioperative pain management in dogs undergoing soft tissue surgery.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current scenario in Brazil regarding pain assessment and control in experimental animals. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective survey. METHODS: A confidential questionnaire was available online and sent by e-mail to Brazilian scientists working with animal experimentation in Brazil. Data collection was conducted from October 2016 to October 2017. The exclusion criteria included blank questionnaires or with <80% completed responses, researchers not performing experiments involving animals and foreign scientists. RESULTS: A total of 96 questionnaires from 104 respondents were analyzed. The Fisher's exact test showed a disparity between the proportions of scientists who recognized the importance of analgesia and their application of analgesic techniques in painful procedures (p < 0.0003), and also for the researchers who assumed that experiments inflicted pain and their classification of the degree of invasiveness (p < 0.0001), indicating their insufficient knowledge of these topics. Overall, 77% of institutions did not offer specific training to assess pain in experimental animals, and 24% of respondents had no training to work with animal experimentation. In total, 62% of the studies inflicted pain, 48% of respondents used pain scales, and the drugs administered most frequently for pain management were morphine (44%), meloxicam (43%) and tramadol (37%); 15% of respondents did not include analgesics even though their studies inflicted pain. Commonly used animals were rats (33%), mice (29%) and rabbits (8%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of this preliminary survey indicated that in Brazil there is a gap in the knowledge and training on pain assessment and management of experimental animals. Therefore, there is a necessity for an educational program to prepare and train scientists to assess and manage pain in laboratory or experimental animals. Further studies using a psychometrically validated survey instrument are warranted.

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This study aimed to evaluate reticulated hyaluronic acid alone or associated with ozone gas in the treatment of osteoarthritis due to hip dysplasia in dogs. Fourteen client-owned dogs were randomly assigned into two groups: Group 1-single intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid; Group 2-single intra-articular infiltration injection of hyaluronic acid associated with ozone gas. Each hip joint received an average of 0.75 mL of reticulated hyaluronic acid ultrasound-guided. Ozone gas at a dose of 45 µg/mL was incorporated into hyaluronic acid by insufflation. Dogs were evaluated for body condition scoring, orthopedic examination and radiographic scores of the hip joints, goniometric measurements of the hip joints, visual gait score, and kinetic analysis. The evaluations were conducted immediately before treatments (M0), and at days 30 (M1), 60 (M2), and 90 (M3) after treatments. There were no significant differences in body mass and body condition scoring (5-point scale) in each group in all evaluation moments. The scores of orthopedic examination of the hip joints showed statistical differences in each group between moments (M0 > M3), but differences were not observed between groups. No statistical differences were found for radiographic scores in each group between moments, but differences were observed between groups immediately prior to treatments (G1 > G2) and 90 (G1 > G2) after treatments. Goniometric measurements of hip flexion and extension showed no significant differences in each group between moments or between groups. No statistical differences between groups were found concerning the lameness score. There were significant differences for lameness score among moments in Group 1, being M0 > M2 and M0 > M3, and Group 2 in which M0 > M1, M0 > M2, and M0 > M3. The mean percentage of change of PVF and VI between M3 and M0 in Group 1 was almost null and in Group 2 was positive, being 31.1 ± 29.4 and 10.6 ± 25.4, respectively. In conclusion, the intra-articular viscosupplementation alone or associated with ozone gas allowed improvement of lameness scores and orthopedic examination score. In Group 2 the association of ozone gas had better results on kinetic analysis.