Epidural Administration of Tramadol as an Analgesic Technique in Dogs Submitted to Stifle Surgery

Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic with μ-opioid, monoaminergic, and local anesthetic effects. In view of the involvement of the opioid and monoaminergic systems in pain pathways, the study was conducted to evaluate tramadol as an epidural analgesic in dogs. Ten healthy adult dogs (mean ± SEM body weight = 17.3 ± 3.8 kg) were premedicated with acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg, IM), induced with thiopental (10 mg/kg, IV), and maintained under anesthesia with halothane in oxygen. Twenty minutes after starting halothane anesthesia, tramadol (1.0 mg/kg in 0.22 mL/kg of sterile water) was administered epidurally at the lumbo-sacral space. Surgery began 15 minutes later. Pulse and Intern J Appl Res Vet Med • Vol. 3, No. 4, 2005 Department of Small Animal Clinical Science College of Veterinary Medicine University of Minnesota