Use of liposomal bupivacaine in dogs and cats undergoing gastrointestinal surgery is not associated with a higher rate of surgical site infections or multidrug-resistant infections.

OBJECTIVE

To report the rate of surgical site infections (SSIs) after clean-contaminated and dirty gastrointestinal surgery in dogs and cats that did and did not receive incisional infiltration of Nocita and report the bacteria isolated.

ANIMALS: Client-owned dogs (n = 211) and cats (78).

METHODS

Records of dogs and cats that underwent gastrointestinal surgery at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital between July 1, 2020, and April 1, 2023, were reviewed for surgical procedures, presence of preoperative septic peritonitis, use of Nocita, perioperative antibiotics administered, postoperative antibiotic use, SSI development postoperatively, and aerobic bacteria isolated.

RESULTS

7 of 124 (5.6%) dogs that received Nocita and 9 of 87 (10.2%) that did not receive Nocita developed an SSI. No dogs presenting with septic peritonitis and given Nocita (n = 5) developed an SSI. Two of 55 (3.6%) cats that received Nocita and 1 of 23 (4%) that did not receive Nocita developed an SSI. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli was the most common aerobic bacteria isolated from SSIs (n = 3), and MDR bacteria were isolated commonly from both groups (4).

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Use of Nocita for gastrointestinal surgery in dogs and cats is not associated with higher rates of SSI than published rates of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery. Use of Nocita in dogs with preoperative septic peritonitis is not associated with the development of SSI. MDR bacteria are commonly isolated via culture from both dogs that received Nocita and those that did not.