Comparison of morphine, ketoprofen and Arnica montana 6x and 30x per oral transmucosal or subcutaneous route for control of postoperative pain in cats subjected to hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The postoperative analgesic effect of Arnica montana (Arnica) was compared to morphine and ketoprofen in 50 cats following hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (HSO). Cats were randomly allocated to five groups (n=10) and were treated 30 minutes before surgery and over 72 hours with 1ml of Arnica 30x per subcutaneous (SC) route (GA30SC); Arnica 30x per oral transmucosal route (P.O.) (GA30PO); Arnica 6x P.O. (GA6PO); morphine 0.1mg kg-1 SC (GM) SID or ketoprofen 2mg kg-1 SC (GK) before and 1mg kg-1 after surgery. Sedation and postoperative pain were assessed by means of a dynamic and interactive visual analogue scale (DIVAS) and variable count scale (VCS) and hyperalgesia using an esthesiometer. Whenever the VAS and VCS scores attained 33% of the maximum value, rescue analgesia was performed with morphine 0.3mg kg-1 per the intramuscular (IM) route. Other variables assessed were vomiting, defecation, urination, body weight and wound healing. Vomiting only occurred in animals treated with morphine. The groups did not differ in defecation, urination, body weight or wound healing. Hyperalgesia was detected only on the occasions that the criterion for rescue analgesia was met. One animal in GK and one in GM required rescue analgesia, differing from groups GA30SC, GA30PO and GA6PO, in which 4, 4 and 5 animals, respectively, required rescue analgesia. It can be concluded that ketoprofen and morphine were more efficacious than Arnica and that there was no difference among the various potencies and routes of administration of Arnica for postoperative analgesia in cats undergoing HSO.