Analgesic effects of gabapentin and buprenorphine in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy using two pain-scoring systems: a randomized clinical trial

Fifty-two adult cats were included in a randomized study evaluating the analgesic efficacy of gabapentin-buprenorphine versus meloxicam-buprenorphine or buprenorphine alone.

• The prevalence of rescue analgesia was not significantly different among the gabapentin-buprenorphine group (GBG), meloxicam-buprenorphine group (MBG), and buprenorphine group (BG) when assessed by the multidimensional composite pain scale (MCPS).
• If evaluated using the Glasgow pain scale (rCMPS-F), the BG group would have shown significantly higher rescue analgesia compared to both GBG and MBG.
• No significant differences were found in sedation scores between the treatment groups using the dynamic interactive visual analog scale (DIVAS).
• A strong correlation exists between the MCPS and rCMPS-F scoring systems, suggesting they may assess similar aspects of pain.
• Findings indicate that gabapentin-buprenorphine and meloxicam-buprenorphine could be more effective than buprenorphine alone under certain conditions, although results may be limited due to small sample size.

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