Intraoperative nociceptive and clinical comparisons between ventral midline and flank ovariectomy in feral and stray cats

Objectives The aim of the present study was to evaluate the differences in intraoperative nociception, incision size and operative time between midline (OVE m) and flank ovariectomy (OVE f) in feral or stray cats. Methods Two groups of animals, the OVE m group (n = 19) and the OVE f group (n = 19), were evaluated at six intraoperative time points. Cats assigned to both groups were premedicated with dexmedetomidine (20 μg/kg IM) and methadone (0.2 mg/kg IM). General anaesthesia was induced with intravenous propofol to effect and maintained with isoflurane in 100% oxygen. The data collected included heart rate, non-invasive systolic and median blood pressure, respiratory rate, weight, body condition score, surgical time, incision size and rescue analgesia. Results Significant differences were observed between surgical approaches, with larger incision size ( P <0.001) and longer surgery time ( P = 0.04) in the OVE m group. No significant differences between surgical approaches were detected regarding intraoperative nociception ( P >0.05). Conclusions and relevance Based on intraoperative nociception, there is no strong reason to advocate a preferred surgical approach for feline OVE in sterilisation programmes; however, considering surgery time and incision size, the OVE f approach may contribute to the sterilisation of more animals and reduce the risk of wound dehiscence as it allows for smaller incisions to be made in animals where postoperative wound control is difficult or impossible.