Serum Cortisol Concentrations in Response to Ovario-hysterectomy and Following Post-operative Analgesia with Carprofen and Meloxicam in Dogs

Serum cortisol levels following ovario-hysterectomy and post-operative analgesia with carprofen and meloxicam were studied in twelve dogs randomly assigned to Group A and Group B. In Group A, carprofen was administered @ 4 mg/kg i.v, whereas in Group B, meloxicam was administered @ 0.2 mg/kg i.v, immediately after completion of surgery. Study revealed that the cortisol levels increased up to 6 to 7 fold immediately after ovariohysterectomy. Induction of analgesia with carprofen and meloxicam significantly reduced the level of cortisol. Carprofen was found to be a better analgesic than meloxicam in terms of its role in reducing the cortisol levels post-operatively.