Looking to improve pain control for dogs being neutered? A simple shot may help.

In an article published in the most recent issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, researchers found that dogs who received intratesticular bupivacaine injections experienced less pain and lower cortisol levels than dogs who received analgesics (carprofen and hydromorphone) systemically.

From the study abstract:

At 15 minutes after removal of the testes, serum cortisol concentrations were significantly higher than they were immediately prior to surgery for all groups and values for the intratesticular bupivacaine treatment group were significantly lower versus the other 2 groups.

The study also looked at epidural morphine use, which also reduced post-operative pain better than systemic analgesics.

Effects of intratesticular injection of bupivacaine and epidural administration of morphine in dogs undergoing castration; Tania E. Perez, Tamara L. Grubb, Stephen A. Greene, Shona Meyer, Nicole Valdez, Janel Bingman, and Raelynn Farnsworth. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, March 1, 2013, Vol. 242, No. 5, Pages 631-642. (doi: 10.2460/ javma.242.5.631)