Subcutaneous pre‐anaesthetic medication with acepromazine–buprenorphine is effective as and less painful than the intramuscular route

Abstract

Acepromazine-buprenorphine pre-anaesthetic medication provides a similar degree of sedation whether administered by the intramuscular or subcutaneous route. The intramuscular route is more painful compared to the subcutaneous route.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modelling of intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous buprenorphine in conscious cats

“…2006) examining the effects of this route of administration. Clinicians often use the SC route of administration in dogs and cats as the injection is less painful and stressful compared with the IM route (Gurney et al. 2009).…”

“…Although an antinociceptive effect was not detected after SC administration of buprenorphine, the behavioral changes following administration of buprenorphine were still observed in both this and the previous study (Steagall et al 2006) examining the effects of this route of administration. Clinicians often use the SC route of administration in dogs and cats as the injection is less painful and stressful compared with the IM route (Gurney et al 2009). However, although the behavioral effects, including sedation, may be similar after IM or SC drug administration, analgesic effects were much reduced when buprenorphine was administered SC to cats.…”

Pharmacokinetics of intravenous and intramuscular buprenorphine in the horse

“…While no injection site reactions were seen in this study, there is evidence that i.m. injections of buprenorphine may be more painful compared with other routes of administration in other species (Gurney et al, 2009). In the present study, the entire dose of buprenorphine was administered in one injection site.…”

Comparison of sedation scores and propofol induction doses in dogs after intramuscular premedication with butorphanol and either dexmedetomidine or medetomidine

“…Sedation was scored before and 20 minutes after pre‐anaesthetic medication using a previously published composite simple descriptive sedation score (Gurney et al. ), giving an overall score of 0 to 15 (0 = no sedation; 15 = profound sedation) (details in Appendix S1). Dogs were considered adequately sedated for clinical purposes if they achieved a score of ≥9/15.…”