Canine ovariectomy is an elective surgery with a moderate level of pain. Despite its relative simplicity, it requires surgical pain management. This study aimed to collect all recent information about local and regional anaesthetic/analgesic techniques in a review of the literature describing the technique utilised. The various procedures described in this review use local anaesthetics to improve analgesia in the routine systemic anaesthetic protocol. The approach described in this paper is called multimodal analgesia and is used in addition to the normal standard anaesthetic protocol. These techniques proved effective in minimising responses to the surgical stimulus and ensured adequate intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. The routine use of multimodal analgesia is considered a useful alternative for pain management in canine ovariectomy, in that it minimises patient suffering, improves the recovery of rescue analgesia, increases drug savings, and improves animal outcomes. In addition, the use of these local and regional techniques ensures satisfactory analgesic coverage that lasts for the first hours postoperatively.

Both stray and free-roaming owned dogs contribute to the serious global dog overpopulation problem. Many dog owners are unwilling to have their pet castrated for various reasons, including a reluctance to have their dog's behavior changed. A non-surgical method of sterilizing both stray and owned dogs would help to prevent unwanted litters. Previous studies have shown that intratesticular injection of calcium chloride dihydrate (CaCl2) in alcohol is a promising and cost-effective alternative to surgery for stray dogs, with testosterone significantly decreased and sexual activity eliminated. The aim of this study was to compare the use of a solution of 20% CaCl2 in 95% ethanol injected into the testicles or into the head of the epididymis. A total of 148 dogs divided into 4 groups (2 experimental and 2 control) were respectively injected with CaCl2 or saline solution into the testicle or epididymal head (ultrasound-guided). The animals were examined at 0, 3, 6, and 9 months for sperm quality, concentration of testosterone in serum, and side effects; at 0 and 5 months with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to enhance the morphological aspects/alteration of the testicular parenchyma or epididymis; and at 9 months when all were castrated for histological examination. All dogs treated with CaCl2 became sterile with azoospermia achieved over the 9-month study. The concentration of testosterone in serum significantly decreased following intratesticular treatment with CaCl2. No adverse effects were noted. A single, bilateral intratesticular injection of 20% CaCl2 in 95% ethanol was confirmed to be a reliable method for induction of sterilization in male dogs. The approach showed long-term efficacy and may reduce sexual behavior, with the additional benefits of low-cost and ease of use, making this nonsurgical method appropriate for use in stray dogs. Sterility was also achieved if injected in the head of the epididymis but no significant decrease in serum concentration of testosterone occurred. Moreover, performing the intraepididymal injection into the epididymal head was as time consuming as orchiectomy. This approach may be optimal for use in owned dogs where anatomical integrity and testosterone maintenance is preferred by the owner.

Objectives: The present study aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of splash block using lidocaine to provide additional analgesia during ovariectomy in bitches. To identify an acute intraoperative nociceptive response, three clinical parameters were used: increased blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate.Material and Methods: Forty healthy bitches were randomly assigned to receive 2% lidocaine (L group) topical application (splash block) on both ovaries (2 mg/kg each), or an equal volume of NaCl 0.9% at the same sites (C group). A fentanyl bolus (2 µg/kg) was administered intraoperatively in response to an increase in blood pressure, heart rate or respiratory rate during surgery (> 30% compared with the pre‐incisional values).Results: Local lidocaine administration significantly reduced the need for supplementary fentanyl. Dogs in the L group showed greater intraoperative hemodynamic stability and lower surgical pain than those in the C group. In addition to the routine anaesthetic protocol, the local anaesthesia used in the present study was safe and caused no cardiopulmonary suppression. In addition, it significantly reduced the need for mandatory systemic or rescue analgesia.Clinical Significance: Ovariectomy is a common surgical procedure in bitches. Analgesia during this procedure is important because intraoperative pain can cause negative effects that prevent patient recovery. This study aimed to demonstrate the analgesic efficacy of lidocaine splash block in video‐assisted ovariectomy in dogs. The results showed that splash block improved surgical analgesia during canine laparoscopic ovariectomy. Considering its relative simplicity, low cost, and safety, splash block could be used in daily clinical practice.

Orchiectomy is a common surgical procedure performed on small animals, and it requires postoperative pain management despite its relative simplicity. This study aimed to evaluate the hemodynamic stability, intraoperative administration of additional hypnotic and/or analgesic drugs, and postoperative pain scores following the combination of ultrasound-guided injection of ropivacaine hydrochloride into the spermatic cord and infiltration by the same anaesthetic of the incisional prescrotal line (ROP) or general anaesthesia. Dogs in the ROP group showed greater intraoperative hemodynamic stability and lower pain scores than the control group. The locoregional approach used in this study proved effective in minimising the responses to the surgical stimulus and ensured adequate analgesia intra- and postoperatively. This method, called ultrasound-guided funicular block, allows orchiectomy to be performed under deep sedation without general anaesthesia.

Unilateral mastectomy is a common surgical procedure in feline species and requires postoperative pain management. Our study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of subarachnoid anaesthesia combined with an intercostal nerve block, in comparison with the use of sufentanyl citrate administered as a constant-rate infusion (CRI). Twenty cats were randomly divided into two groups (n = 10/group) based on the analgesic protocol used: the first received loco-regional anaesthesia with levobupivacaine (LR group), and the second received a CRI of sufentanyl (SUF group). The evaluation criteria during surgery were the need for a bolus of fentanyl in the event of an increased heart rate or increased blood pressure. In the postoperative period, the levels of comfort/discomfort and pain were used to obtain a score according to the UNESP-Botucatu multimodal scale. Subjects who scored above seven received analgesic drug supplementation. Intraoperative analgesia was satisfactory, with good haemodynamic stability in both groups. Four patients in the LR group required an extra dose of methadone after they achieved the sternal decubitus position, whereas those in the SUF group required many more doses. The analgesia achieved in the LR group was more satisfactory than that in the SUF group.

Influenza D virus (IDV) is a novel orthomyxovirus initially isolated from pigs exhibiting influenza-like disease in the USA. Since then, IDV has been detected worldwide in several host species, including livestock animals, whilst specific antibodies have been identified in humans, raising concerns about interspecies transmission and zoonotic risks. Few data regarding the seroprevalence of IDV in small ruminants have been available to date. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of antibodies against IDV in ovine serum samples in Sicily, Southern Italy. Six hundred serum samples, collected from dairy sheep herds located in Sicily in 2022, were tested by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and virus neutralization (VN) assays using reference strains, D/660 and D/OK, representative of two distinct IDV lineages circulating in Italy. Out of 600 tested samples, 168 (28.0%) tested positive to either IDV strain D/660 or D/OK or to both by HI whilst 378 (63.0%) tested positive to either IDV strain D/660 or D/OK or to both by VN. Overall, our findings demonstrate that IDV circulates in ovine dairy herds in Sicily. Since IDV seems to have a broad host range and it has zoonotic potential, it is important to collect epidemiological information on susceptible species.