Proper pain relief after surgery is imperative to getting your dog back on his feet. Often a multi-level analgesic protocol is needed for orthopedic and intense abdominal surgeries. If your dog is not responding to the pain medication or appears to be getting worse, consult with your veterinarian immediately.
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Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory
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Inflammation after a surgical procedure can cause pain and discomfort and actually slow healing. When tissues swells, blood flow is compromised and further tissue damage can occur. The use of an anti-inflammatory such as carprofen can calm swelling and dramatically reduce pain. The length of time the dog should be on this medication is often dependent on the type of surgery. Orthopedic surgery involving slow-healing bone will often indicate the dog will be on a longer course, such as 10 days. Abdominal surgery or mass removals will often be on this medication for just three to five days.
Your veterinarian will often prescribe the duration of medication to be used based on how she felt the surgery went; it is important to comply with her recommendation to aid recovery. If your dog does not seem to be getting better or the pain level appears to increase, have your vet reevaluate the dog as soon as possible. Do not give your dog Advil or Tylenol--they are toxic to dogs.
Analgesia
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There is a large number of drugs available for purely pain relief use. Most of these drugs do not offer anti-inflammatory effects, but may cause marked drowsiness. Tramadol is a commonly used pain killer in dogs. It is often used in conjunction with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as carprofen. It is given in pill form; the dose can be tailored for more pain relief immediately following surgery and then tapered off as the dog begins to recover.
For orthopedic procedures or invasive abdominal surgery, such as a splenectomy, a pain patch is often utilized. The most common drug administered this way is fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful pain killer absorbed through the skin from a patch taped onto the dog. The patch is placed ahead of time--it takes about 12 hours to begin producing analgesic effects. The patch is effective for about 72 hours; other pain medications should not be used in this time period as they may produce marked sedation. Drugs such as carprofen can be used in conjunction with the patch.
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