Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How bupivacaine spreads in adult cats after dental nerve blocks
By Steagall, Paulo V et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2026·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, China·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Pharmacokinetics of bupivacaine after bilateral maxillary and caudal inferior alveolar nerve blocks using two injection volumes in adult cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 10 healthy adult cats underwent dental procedures while under general anesthesia and received nerve blocks with a local anesthetic called bupivacaine. The cats were given either a smaller or larger dose, and researchers monitored how the drug moved through their bodies over time. Both doses were found to be safe, with no signs of toxicity, and the bupivacaine levels remained detectable for several hours after administration. This study suggests that these nerve blocks can be effective and safe for pain management in cats during dental work.
People also search for: cat dental procedure anesthesia · bupivacaine safety in cats · local anesthetic for cat dental work
Abstract
ObjectivesThis study described the pharmacokinetics of bupivacaine after bilateral maxillary and caudal inferior alveolar nerve blocks in adult cats under general anaesthesia.MethodsA total of 10 healthy adult cats (mean ± SD weight 4.8 ± 0.8 kg) were included in a randomised, prospective trial. The anaesthetic protocol consisted of acepromazine-methadone-propofol-isoflurane. Each cat randomly received 0.2 (BUPI2) or 0.3 ml (BUPI3) of bupivacaine 0.5% per site (4 and 6 mg per cat, respectively) (n = 5/group). Blood was collected before (time 0) and at 2, 7, 20, 30, 60, 120, 240, 360, 480 and 600 mins after all dental blocks. Plasma concentrations of bupivacaine were analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The pharmacokinetics of bupivacaine were described using a non-compartmental analysis.ResultsMean doses of bupivacaine were significantly different (BUPI2: 0.88 ± 0.14 mg/kg; BUPI3: 1.22 ± 0.21 mg/kg). For BUPI2 and BUPI3, mean maximum bupivacaine plasma concentrations (max) were 825 ± 299 and 926 ± 197 ng/ml at 5.0 ± 2.7 and 9.6 ± 5.8 mins (time to peak concentration); mean area under the curve to the last measured concentration was 142 ± 36 and 180 ± 60 min*µg/ml; mean clearance was 5.4 ± 0.8 and 7 ± 5.7 ml/min/kg; mean elimination half-life was 245 ± 54 and 278 ± 90 mins; and mean residence time to the last measured concentration was 185 ± 13 and 182 ± 33 mins, respectively. Concentrations of bupivacaine were detected up to 600 mins (72 ± 22 ng/ml in BUPI2 and 104 ± 55 ng/ml in BUPI3).Conclusions and relevanceBilateral maxillary and caudal inferior alveolar nerve blocks using two volumes and doses of administration producedbelow those reported to cause toxicity in cats. Further studies are warranted to investigate the pharmacodynamics of dental blocks in cats.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41328786/