Abstract
Objective—To determine whether postoperative administration of ketoprofen or carprofen had any effects on short- or long-term results of femoral head and neck excision (FHNE) in dogs.
Design—Prospective randomized controlled trial.
Animals—40 client-owned, large-breed dogs undergoing FHNE and 15 healthy large-breed dogs used as controls for hip joint angle measurements and force plate analyses.
Procedure—Dogs undergoing FHNE were treated with ketoprofen, carprofen, or a placebo for 21 days after surgery. Hip joint abduction and extension angles were measured at the end of surgery and 120 days later. Lameness scores were assigned, and force plate analyses were performed on days 3, 15, and 120.
Results—There were no significant differences among treatment groups in regard to hip joint angles or lameness scores. Force plate analysis revealed that dogs in all 3 treatment groups bore consistently less weight on the operated limb than did control dogs for the duration of the study. Dogs receiving ketoprofen had greater peak propulsive force at a walk on day 3 and greater peak vertical force at a walk on day 15 than did dogs receiving the placebo. Treatment of an acute condition and preservation of the lesser trochanter, but not postoperative analgesic administration, were positively associated with ground reaction forces on day 120. Owners of 12 of 31 dogs indicated that the dog's gait worsened for a few days after discontinuation of analgesic administration.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Administration of ketoprofen or carprofen after surgery was not associated with long-term results of FHNE, probably because of the impact of other factors. Because some owners noticed worsening of the lameness following cessation of analgesic administration in the present study, it is possible that longer administration would have improved long-term results. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2003;223:1006–1012)
