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Intraoperative and early postoperative pain in cats that underwent ovariohysterectomy using a spay hook: a
Mareliza Possa de Menezes1, Luís Guilherme de Faria2, Guilherme Galhardo Franco3
1Department of Clinic and Veterinary Surgery, School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane w/n, Jaboticabal - São Paulo, CEP 14884-900, Brazil. marelizamenezes@yahoo.com.br.
Background:
This study aimed to compare the feasibility and practicality of the ovariohysterectomy (OHE) technique in cats with or without a spay hook with respect to the incision size, surgical time, surgical variables, and intra- and postoperative pain. Twenty-nine female cats underwent OHE using a spay hook (spay hook group [SHG], n = 15) or without using a spay hook (control group [CG], n = 14) to achieve the ovaries and cervix. Physiological parameters were monitored during the intraoperative period, and postoperative pain was assessed using a multidimensional composite and visual analogue pain scales.
Results:
The SHG had a significantly shorter operative time than the CG. The variables in the intraoperative period showed no statistically significant difference between both groups, as well as the early postoperative pain.
Conclusions:
Less invasive OHE using a spay hook could potentially be a viable and feasible technique when performed by an inexperienced surgeon with appropriate training, especially in sterilisation campaigns, reducing the time to perform the procedure and increasing the number of animals spayed per time.
