Epidural Catheter Analgesia in Dogs and Cats: Technique and Review of 182 Cases (1991–1999)

Objective:To characterize the indications and techniques for catheterization of the epidural space to treat pain in dogs and cats in a veterinary teaching hospital intensive care unit, and describe the analgesic regimens used in those patients. To provide a detailed description of the technique of epidural catheterization in companion animals. Design:Retrospective case series and clinical practice review. Setting:The Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Animals:Records from 160 dogs and 22 cats that had epidural catheters placed were identified. Interventions:Epidural catheterization for the purpose of providing analgesia for a variety of surgical and medical disorders was performed on both awake and anesthetized patients. Measurements and main results:The most frequently used analgesic agents were preservative‐free morphine and bupivacaine. 2The range of duration of catheter dwell time was 1.3–332 hours, with a mean duration of 50 hours and a median of 39 hours. Suspicion of catheter malpositioning prompted radiographic imaging of the catheter in 44 patients, and malpositioning was confirmed in 6 of those. Catheter tip positioning was recorded in 46 patients. The tip was located at L3‐L6 in 16, and T5‐L3 in 30. Twenty‐seven of those 30 patients were catheterized to treat pain associated with thoracotomy, forelimb amputation, pancreatitis, or peritonitis. Fifty‐one (28%) patients received no analgesics beyond those provided by the epidural catheter. Conclusions:Epidural administration of analgesia appeared to provide significant pain relief and was adequate as a sole analgesic treatment in some patients. Serious complications in these critically ill animals appeared to be uncommon. (J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2001; 11(2): 95–103)