The Use of Tramadol as Part of Multimodal Analgesic Approach to Noxious Stimulation in Female Dogs during Ovariectomy Procedures

This study aims to evaluate tramadol’s effect during elective ovariectomy in female dogs under general anesthesia with isoflurane, premedicated with 0.025 mg/kg medetomidine IM, 0.2 mg/kg methadone IM and 2 mg/kg ketamine IM. Seventeen female dogs were divided into control (CG) and tramadol (TG) groups. Dogs in the TG also received a 4 mg/kg IV tramadol bolus one minute prior to skin incision. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure, and mean blood pressure were recorded at baseline, skin incision, traction (T1) and clamping (T2) of the right ovarian pedicle, and traction and clamping of the left ovarian pedicle. Tramadol caused a 39.8% (p<0.05) and a 31.9% (p<0.05) HR increase at T1 and T2, respectively, when compared to the CG, which lasted a maximum of eight minutes. Although tramadol has a potential positive chronotropic effect, it can safely provide additional intraoperative analgesia before intense noxious stimuli, for at least seven minutes.