Frequency of vomiting during the postoperative period in hydromorphone-treated dogs undergoing orthopedic surgery

To determine the frequency of postoperative vomiting in dogs undergoing routine orthopedic surgery that were treated with hydromorphone and whether that frequency would vary on the basis of administration route.

Noncontrolled clinical trial. Animals-58 client-owned dogs with cranial cruciate ligament deficiency.

Before surgery, all dogs received hydromorphone (0.1 mg/kg [0.045 mg/lb], IM or IV) and 41 dogs also received acepromazine. Anesthesia was induced with diazepam and propofol and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen. Dogs subsequently underwent surgical stabilization of the stifle joint. After surgery, dogs were randomly assigned to receive hydromorphone (0.1 mg/kg) via one of the following routes: IM, IV quickly (for 1 to 2 seconds), or IV slowly (for approx 1 minute). Dogs were monitored for vomiting.

A median of 4 doses of hydromorphone/dog was administered after surgery. One dog was observed to regurgitate once prior to postoperative IM administration of hydromorphone; no dogs vomited at any point during the study period, regardless of the method of hydromorphone administration.

The method of hydromorphone administration had no apparent effect on the likelihood of dogs vomiting. Because no dogs vomited, a particular administration method cannot be recommended. However, findings suggested that hydromorphone can be administered to dogs following orthopedic surgery without a clinically important risk of vomiting or regurgitation.