A randomized controlled trial of intravenous magnesium sulfate shows no analgesic or anti-inflammatory benefit in dogs undergoing thoracolumbar disk herniation surgery.

Intraoperative IV magnesium sulfate does not improve postoperative analgesia or reduce inflammation in dogs undergoing IVDE surgery.

This prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial investigated whether intraoperative intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) continuous rate infusion provided analgesic or anti-inflammatory benefits in dogs undergoing thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy for intervertebral disk extrusion (IVDE). Thirty client-owned dogs at the Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre were enrolled between October 2022 and October 2023, receiving either MgSO4 or an equal volume of saline intraoperatively under standardized anesthesia and analgesia protocols. Primary outcomes included postoperative pain scores assessed via the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale-Short Form at recovery and at 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours post-surgery, as well as serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations measured preoperatively and one hour postoperatively. No statistically significant differences were found in postoperative pain scores or IL-6 levels between groups. TNF-α was undetectable in most dogs and excluded from statistical analysis. Rescue analgesia requirements did not differ significantly between groups. Notably, MgSO4 administration was associated with smoother anesthesia recoveries. Serum magnesium concentrations were significantly elevated in the treatment group immediately and one hour postoperatively, normalizing by 24 hours, with no adverse effects reported. These findings suggest that intraoperative IV MgSO4 does not meaningfully improve postoperative analgesia or reduce inflammation in dogs undergoing IVDE surgery, though its favorable safety profile and potential benefit on recovery quality warrant further investigation.

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