The effect of wound irrigation with bupivacaine on postoperative analgesia of the feline onychectomy patient

Eighteen cats that each underwent an elective onychectomy were evaluated using a double-blind study design to determine if wound irrigation with bupivacaine prior to wound closure would decrease postoperative pain. The cats were divided alternately into an experimental group (n = 9) and a control group (n = 9). The experimental patients received bupivacaine in each incision prior to closure. The control patients received saline in each incision prior to closure. The patients were evaluated for postoperative pain using a pain-score system. The bupivacaine-treated patients had a significantly higher mean pain score at two hours following recovery from anesthesia than the saline-treated patients. At three hours following recovery from anesthesia, pain scores were not significantly different.