Effects of infiltration of the incision site with bupivacaine on postoperative pain and incisional healing in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy

Objective—To determine the effects of infiltration of the incision site with bupivacaine hydrochloride as part of a multimodal analgesia protocol (incisional block) on postoperative analgesia and incisional healing. Design—Randomized controlled clinical trial. Animals—92 shelter-owned female dogs undergoing routine ovariohysterectomy. Procedures—As part of a multimodal analgesic protocol for ovariohysterectomy, dogs received 1 of the following treatments at the incision site: no injection (26 dogs), preincisional infiltration with saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (12 dogs) or bupivacaine (21 dogs), or postincisional infiltration with bupivacaine (33 dogs). Postoperative pain was assessed with the Glasgow pain scale and response to mechanical stimulation with von Frey filaments. Incisions were monitored for signs of inflammation (edema, erythema, and discharge) and complications in wound healing. Results—There was no difference in pain scores or response to mechanical stimulation over time among treatments. The...