Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (Tap) block catheterization for continuous analgesia in canine pancreatitis: Case report

Acute pancreatitis in dogs is frequently accompanied by severe abdominal pain that may be refractory to conventional systemic analgesia. This report describes the case of an eight-year-old female Yorkshire Terrier with severe acute pancreatitis unresponsive to multimodal therapy with tramadol, dipyrone, and methadone. Due to persistent discomfort, ultrasound-guided bilateral transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block was performed using 0.125% bupivacaine (2 mg/kg) combined with dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg), followed by interfascial catheter placement for intermittent administration every 8 hours over three days. Pain was objectively assessed using the Short Form of the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (CMPS-SF). The baseline pain score of 12/24 decreased markedly to 3/24 within the first hour post-procedure and remained consistently below 6/24 throughout hospitalization, eliminating the need for additional opioid rescue doses. The catheter was maintained under a semi-occlusive sterile dressing with no evidence of infection, leakage, or displacement. Continuous TAP block with perineural adjuvant therapy proved to be a feasible and promising multimodal strategy for managing somatic and referred pain in canine pancreatitis, although prospective, controlled clinical trials are required to elucidate its underlying mechanisms and efficacy.