Bilateral pudendal nerve block with levobupivacaine in cats with urinary obstruction

Abstract

In small animal veterinary clinics, urinary obstructions in male cats are a common occurrence and are considered emergencies due to the rapid progression and potential risk of death. Patients in this condition experience intense pain, and part of the treatment, which involves urethral unblocking through catheterization, exacerbates the pain, making adequate analgesia essential to optimize recovery and patient comfort. The use of pudendal nerve block with lidocaine has been widely adopted in urinary unblocking procedures in cats as an alternative to epidural application. The anesthetic protocol should also take into account the biochemical changes associated with this condition. Therefore, bilateral local pudendal nerve block can be considered a procedure that offers advantages in terms of pharmacological safety and ease of execution. This study reports a case where levobupivacaine was administered as a local pudendal nerve block due to its lower cardiac and central nervous system toxicity when compared to lidocaine or bupivacaine.