Evaluation of GV20 Pharmacopuncture for Reducing Opioid-Induced Vomiting in Dogs

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is recruiting patients for a study looking at a new technique to keep dogs comfortable and safe when they receive medications before anesthesia.

Check out this video on GV20 Administration from OSU Vet!

Enrollment Status: Currently Enrolling

View Study Consent Form here

Inclusion criteria: Your dog is eligible to be included in this study if scheduled for elective anesthesia and will be receiving sedation as part of the standard premedication for a general anesthetic. Your dog can participate in this study if they are generally healthy, weigh at least 3 kg (about 6.5 pounds), and do not have any conditions that could make sedation risky, such as serious breathing or heart problems, esophageal disorders, or aggressive behavior that prevents safe handling.

Exclusion criteria: Dogs already routinely on antiemetics and/or those who have history of vomiting and regurgitation.

Treatment: Before any injections, a veterinarian will perform a brief physical exam and record your dog’s vital signs, weight, age, and sex. Your dog will then be placed in a quiet room for 15 minutes to help them relax as typically performed for all the patients that require anesthesia in this hospital.

Dogs will be assigned to one of two groups:

Control group (IM injection): Your dog will receive a small injection of dexmedetomidine and hydromorphone into a thigh muscle.
Experimental group (GV20 injection): Your dog will receive the same drugs but injected under the skin at a specific acupuncture point between the ears called GV20.

All injections will be performed by trained veterinary staff using gentle, fear-free handling techniques. The injection process usually takes less than 1 minute, and your dog may be gently restrained by hand to ensure safety.

After the injection, your dog will be closely observed for up to 30 minutes. During this time, trained staff will watch for any vomiting, nausea, or unusual behaviors and will score your dog’s level of sedation every 5 minutes. If your dog appears overly distressed, or has any other concerning reactions, they will receive immediate veterinary care and may be withdrawn from the study.

The entire study is designed to be short, minimally invasive, and safe. It will not interfere with any other treatments your dog is receiving, and all procedures are performed by experienced veterinary professionals.

Cost: There are no additional costs or discounts associated with your pet’s participation in this study. The sedation administered is part of the standard anesthetic procedure your pet would already be receiving, and therefore no financial considerations apply. Therefore, you will be responsible for the regular costs associated with your pet’s procedure or diagnostic test.

Contacts: Dr. Diego Portela. dportela@ufl.edu.
Ms. Jessica Clough jlynch2892@ufl.edu
Ms. Margaret Gonzalez margaretgonzalez@ufl.edu

or the Clinical Studies Team vm-clinicalstudies@ufl.edu

You can also fill out our study interest form.

Background: Pain-relieving drugs like opioids are often used to prepare dogs for surgery, but they can cause unwanted side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Vomiting is unpleasant for the animal and can also be dangerous, as it increases the risk of complications like aspiration during anesthesia. The goal of this study is to test whether giving these medications at a special point between the ears (called GV20), instead of by the usual muscle injection, can lower the chance of vomiting while still providing the same level of calming and sedation. Why this matters: For animals: If successful, this approach could make the pre-anesthesia time safer and more comfortable for dogs by reducing the risk of vomiting and nausea. For humans (owners and veterinary teams): Safer, smoother anesthesia means less worry for pet owners and fewer complications for veterinary staff to manage. For science: This study will add new knowledge about using “pharmacopuncture” (giving medications at acupuncture points) which may open the door to improved anesthetic techniques for veterinary medicine, and possibly inform approaches in other species as well.