The aim of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of preemptive pharmacopuncture with meloxicam or aquapuncture in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Twenty-nine healthy animals, aged 11.59±6.21 and weighing 2.50±0.58kg were used and assigned to four groups: aquapuncture (GA; n=7; 0.1mL of saline solution in the SP6, GB34, LIV3 and ST36 acupoints bilaterally), meloxicam (GM; n=8; 0.1mg kg-1 of meloxicam subcutaneously), pharmacopuncture (GMFV; n=7; 0.01mg kg-1 of meloxicam, diluted to 0.8ml of saline solution, equally distributed in the SP6, GB34, LIV3 and ST36 acupoints bilaterally) or subdose of meloxicam (GMFF; n=7; 0.01mg kg-1 of meloxicam diluted in saline subcutaneously, at the interscapular region). The animals were submitted to OVH by minimally invasive surgical technique. Animals were evaluated at 1h, 2h, 6h, 8h, 12h and 24h postoperatively by a blind assessor. All measurements were assessed the day before surgery and were considered as baseline. Postoperative pain and sedation were evaluated by visual analogue scale in both cases and sedation score and descriptive pain scale (DPS), respectively, as well as hyperalgesia was assessed by the Von Frey monofilaments. The analgesic rescue was performed with 0.2mg kg-1 of morphine intramuscularly, when the DPS score was above 33% from the total score. Statistical analysis were performed with the Sigma-Stat 3.1 program using parametric and nonparametric analyses of variances and respective Tukey´s and Dunn´s test for post hoc comparisons. The level of statistical significance was set at 5% (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference between groups for the physiological variables, Von Frey sensitivity, VAS for pain and sedation and DPS. Four analgesic rescues were performed in GM group, three in GA and GMFF groups and two in GMFV group. All treatments showed similar analgesic effect in cats undergoing OVH.
acupuncture analgesia; cats; meloxicam; ovariohysterectomy
