Anything that causes pain in people can be expected to cause pain in animals. Pets may not show the same symptoms of pain as people do; they usually don’t whine or cry, but you can be sure they feel it. Pain medications will depend on the surgery performed. Major procedures require more pain relief than things like minor lacerations.
For dogs, we may recommend an oral anti-inflammatory to lessen the risk of discomfort and swelling. We use medications that are less likely to cause stomach upset and can be given the morning of surgery. All patients will receive injections of pain medication while in the hospital, and most will receive pain medication to go home.
Because cats do not tolerate standard pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or Tylenol, we are limited as to what we can give them. Recent advances in pain medications have allowed for better pain control in cats than ever before. We administer a pain injection prior to recovery from surgery. After surgery, pain medication is given on a case by case basis. Any animal that appears to be in pain will receive additional pain medication.
Injectable pain medications will also be used after surgery on both dogs and cats. Providing whatever pain relief is appropriate is a humane and caring thing to do for your pet.