Efficacy and safety of deracoxib for control of postoperative pain and inflammation associated with soft tissue surgery in dogs

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of deracoxib (Deramaxx®) administered at a dose of 1-2 mg/kg/day for 3 days for control of postoperative pain and inflammation associated with soft tissue surgery in dogs.

Study design: Prospective, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, multi-center clinical study.

Animals: Dogs (n = 34).

Methods: Dogs undergoing soft tissue surgeries were randomly assigned to receive either deracoxib (n = 18) or placebo (n = 16) as a preoperative treatment and again once daily for 2 additional days after surgery unless removed from the study. Dogs were evaluated before surgery and again postsurgically at predetermined times using the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale (GCPS). All dogs were allowed to receive another pain medication (except nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs] or corticosteroids) as postsurgical pain intervention if the dog scored ≥6 on the GCPS or was in obvious discomfort. Dogs receiving pain intervention were considered treatment failures and were removed from the study.

Results: Two of 16 dogs treated with deracoxib were rescued compared with 9 of 16 dogs receiving placebo (P = .0091). In addition, deracoxib treated dogs had numerically lower GCPS scores.

Conclusions: Results suggest perioperative administration of deracoxib to dogs at 1-2 mg/kg/day for 3 days significantly improves analgesia in the postoperative surgical period after soft tissue surgery. Placebo dogs not rescued after painful procedures highlight the need for refinement of current pain assessment tools.