Perioperative pain management protocols of veterinarians in the United States for horses undergoing routine orchiectomy (castration)

Abstract

SummaryBackgroundAnalgesic protocols related to orchiectomy or castration of young horses vary widely depending on geographic location, educational background of the veterinarian, and other demographic factors. Specific practices of equine veterinarians in the United States (US) have not been reported.ObjectivesTo determine perioperative pain management practices of equine veterinarians in the United States as they relate to castration of healthy yearling colts.Study designCross‐sectional survey.MethodsAn internet‐based questionnaire included items related to analgesic drugs used in association with castration of healthy yearling colts. Demographic, educational, and experiential factors associated with routine recommendation of analgesic medications after castration were analysed with calculation of odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and multivariable logistic regression.ResultsResponses from 146 equine veterinarians in the United States revealed that 112/146 (76.7%) administered a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) at the time of castration, and 107/143 respondents (73.3%) recommended administration of NSAIDs for a median of 3 days (IQR = 3–5) after surgery. Veterinarians who recommended NSAID analgesia after castration provided a higher pain severity score for horses at 24 h after a routine castration. Routine recommendation of post‐castration NSAID analgesia was associated with veterinarians who were employed in a multi‐veterinarian practice (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.2–6.1) and completed their veterinary education in the year 2000 or more recently (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1–5.9).Main limitationsPossible distribution, self‐selection, and response biases as a result of convenience sampling methodology and possible recall bias of respondents.ConclusionsPerioperative pain management practices vary widely among US veterinarians but the majority of veterinarians, especially more recent graduates and those in multi‐veterinarian practices, recommend administration of an NSAID at the time of castration and for a median of 3 days after surgery.