Intercostal block in a rabbit undergoing exploratory thoracotomy - case report

ABSTRACT Rabbits stand out in challenging anesthesia, due to their smaller size and different anatomy. Thoracic surgery is challenging due to the mandatory tracheal intubation to maintain positive ventilation and its high level of pain. The intercostal block aims to control pain during the trans-operative and post-operative period, thus making it possible to maintain acceptable pain levels, reducing the use of general analgesics and providing a better quality of anesthetic recovery. The study aims to report a case of a rabbit, where for diagnosis and possible treatment she underwent exploratory thoracotomy and pain control was achieved through intercostal block with 2 mg/kg of lidocaine and 1 mg/kg of bupivacaine. The technique used was based on companion animals, where through palpation of the intercostal space, a needle is inserted, and the anesthetic is injected between the pleura and the intercostal muscle caudal to the rib. It proved to be effective in controlling trans-surgical and post-operative pain, as during evaluations and monitoring the animal showed no signs of pain.