Effective management of chronic lumbar back pain in five dogs using an erector spinae plane block

Abstract This retrospective case series evaluates the use of the ultrasound‐guided erector spinae plane block for managing chronic lumbar pain in five dogs unresponsive to conventional systemic analgesia. Each patient received a bilateral erector spinae plane block at either the L2/L3 or L3/L4 level under general anaesthesia. The injectate consisted of bupivacaine, buprenorphine and triamcinolone (0.3 mL/kg per side). Pain was assessed using the Helsinki Chronic Pain Index and the Visual Analogue Scale at multiple time points over 3 months. Four of the five dogs demonstrated rapid and sustained reductions in pain, with peak analgesic effect observed within 1–2 weeks post‐procedure. Although some recurrence of discomfort occurred over time, scores generally remained below baseline. No adverse effects were reported. These findings suggest that the erector spinae plane block is a safe, opioid‐sparing adjunct for chronic pain management in dogs, warranting further investigation in larger, prospective clinical trials.