Abstract
Orchiectomy is performed in some species using only sedation and local anesthesia to decrease the expense of performing the procedure using general anesthesia. The objective of this study was to determine if dogs can be castrated safely and painlessly by using only sedation and local anesthesia. After dogs were sedated with intramuscularly administered xylazine (1 mg/kg) and subanesthetic ketamine (1 mg/kg), testes and skin were anesthetized with 2% lidocaine (6 mg/kg, total dose) buffered with sodium bicarbonate. Systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures; heart and respiratory rates; and movement scores were determined before and during surgery when manipulations were most likely to cause pain. No dog reacted substantially to injection of the combination of sedatives, and no dog reacted noticeably to injection of lidocaine. During surgery, the average heart rate was reduced from baseline by 40–60 beats per minute, and the average respiratory rate was reduced by ~10 breaths per minute. An overall reduction of arterial blood pressures was observed. All but one dog moved purposely in response to a toe pinch at the end of surgery. We found that sedating dogs intramuscularly with xylazine and a sub-anesthetic dose of ketamine and administering lidocaine at the incision site and intratesticularly allowed dogs to be castrated humanely and avoided the expense of general anesthesia and the need for hospitalization.
Highlights
When anesthetic equipment is not available or large numbers of dogs must be castrated, chemical immobilization in conjunction with local anesthesia may be an economical and expeditious method of performing the procedure.Orchiectomy in other species can be performed painlessly after injecting the testes or spermatic cords with local anesthetic
The average heart rate was reduced from baseline by 40–60 beats per minute, and the average respiratory rate was reduced by ∼10 breaths per minute
Most dogs (11 of 12) responded to a toe pinch applied at the end of surgery with purposeful movement, with some (n = 4) attaining a standing position, indicating cognitive perception of a noxious stimulus, not present during castration
Summary
When anesthetic equipment is not available or large numbers of dogs must be castrated, chemical immobilization in conjunction with local anesthesia may be an economical and expeditious method of performing the procedure.Orchiectomy in other species can be performed painlessly after injecting the testes or spermatic cords with local anesthetic. When anesthetic equipment is not available or large numbers of dogs must be castrated, chemical immobilization in conjunction with local anesthesia may be an economical and expeditious method of performing the procedure. Men can be castrated using local anesthesia, often without sedation (1– 4). Stallions are often castrated while they are standing by using only sedation, local anesthesia, and a lip twitch for restraint (5). In a study that evaluated the analgesic effect of intratesticular and incision line infiltration of local anesthetic (0.5% ropivacaine) (6), 7 of 11 sedated dogs were castrated with little or no movement. Four dogs in that study were given general anesthesia to complete the castration; the authors did not offer an opinion as to whether movement appeared to be in response to surgically induced pain or other environmental stimuli
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