Desexing, Do Vets Ever Give Pain Killers After?

[curlygirl]

The vets I work at give a long acting pain killer injection at the time of the premed, so that it has started working by the time the anaesthetic wears off. Some times the dogs might require pain relief tablet but certainly this is not the rule. In regards to the vomitting I would call your vet/a vet as the dog will have been fasted prior to surgery and isn't able to keep fluids down. I would be concerned with dehydration and the strain that retching is putting on the surgical site/internal and external sutures. I think at the very least your dog needs an injection to stop the vomitting, possibly more pain relief and some fluids ( even if they're given under the skin and not intraveneously ).

[Guest The Warden]

Yes.

With Axle I chose every extra possible EXCEPT overnight and I regret it. Gizmo I asked the vet what he would do for his dog if it was free, and I chose those options. He said a few of them have almost no benefit and are wank factor.

Which part of Axle's neuter do you regret? Not leaving him there overnight or electing to have him on antibiotics and pain relief. Not sure from you post which is the area of your regret.

A neuter is way less invasive than a spey so I presume you are speaking about neutering boys, whereas the OP is speaking of her bitch who is post spey and evidently is not feeling too well.

Which options do you and your vet think are wank factor? The antibiotics to prevent infection or the pain relief needed for major abdominal surgery on a bitch?

I don't leave my girls or boys at the vets overnight after desexing. There's no one there at night anyway so they're better off at home with me where I can keep an eye on them. My vet gives pain relief after surgery and antibiotics. Wanky or not, I choose to have my dogs on both.

Ohhh, I regret not leaving him there. He had invasive surgery - one undescended ball.

I don't recall what he said was "wank" factor. Gizmo had fluids, antibiotics and pain relief but the list he presented to me had more than that on it. He said a few of them are there because owners want it but it provides benefit to the dog at all so rather than chose all electives like I did with Axle (bar staying there) I spoke to the vet and got his opinion on which ones give a good benefit for their cost.

The reason I wish I left Axle there is this:

coupled with hundreds of dollars in follow up vet checks and more meds which would have been avoided with a 1-2 day stay at the vets imo.

Yes.

With Axle I chose every extra possible EXCEPT overnight and I regret it. Gizmo I asked the vet what he would do for his dog if it was free, and I chose those options. He said a few of them have almost no benefit and are wank factor.

A neuter is way less invasive than a spey so I presume you are speaking about neutering boys, whereas the OP is speaking of her bitch who is post spey and evidently is not feeling too well.

From memory Axle had a retained testis so similar operation to spaying. The Warden (can't get used to thet name) can verify.

Confirmed.

And don't worry :D It'll only be The Warden for a few more weeks.

[Bow Wowy]

At the vet where I work, every de-sex gets pain relief and antibiotics (unless there is a reason not to) It is included in the price and is not listed seperately on the invoice. I think for spey's especially this is standard procedure.

[cavNrott]

Ohhh, I regret not leaving him there. He had invasive surgery - one undescended ball.

The reason I wish I left Axle there is this:

coupled with hundreds of dollars in follow up vet checks and more meds which would have been avoided with a 1-2 day stay at the vets imo.

With Axle I chose every extra possible EXCEPT overnight and I regret it. Gizmo I asked the vet what he would do for his dog if it was free, and I chose those options. He said a few of them have almost no benefit and are wank factor.

Ooh I see your reason now for wishing you'd left Axle there overnight. That bottom suture looks like it came undone too.

Yep that's what I'd call invasive surgery.

Edited April 15, 2008 by cavNrott

[Sheridan]

My girl got two days of painkillers afterwards.

[persephone]

To the OP..The continued vomiting is a worry... she may have an irritated throat from tubes..or something else.

[SarasMum]

We have given her small sips of water which she seems to be keeping down. I suppose the vet could have given an injection but I dont know as nothing other than a general spey is listed on the invoice, that includes the ab injection she was given.

She normally sleeps outside (her preference) but I will keep her in tonight just in case.

Not sure if this makes any difference re the vomiting but she also gets car sick after 5 mins in the car :D I dont think she is very tough in the stomach department.

Oh and there is no 24 hour care, its a little surgery with one vet and one vet nurse. Except for the puddy cat in the cage above Maddisons.

Edited April 15, 2008 by SarasMum

[SarasMum]

She slept inside last night. She woke around 1am and came in for a hug. I gave her a small bit of water which she kept down. She woke again at 4am and wanted to go outside so I put her out and she didnt want to come back in. She had some more water which she also kept down.

OH fed her this morning but he then went to work so I am not sure if she kept it down but I cant see any remnants anywhere to say that she hasnt, but then the staffy x may have eaten any evidence

She is a bit brighter today, she is walking around a little bit, only venturing between inside and her bed outside. Her back isnt quite so arched today so she is feeling a bit better I'd say.

The bit that worried me the most last night is that she made no sound, none. She is normally a whinging, whining, loud, sounds like someone is killing her when she is saying hello kind of dog. She didnt make a sound last night at all. This I think worried me more than anything. She still hasnt but she definately looks better.

[GotAnyBlacker]

Ohhh, I regret not leaving him there. He had invasive surgery - one undescended ball.

The reason I wish I left Axle there is this:

coupled with hundreds of dollars in follow up vet checks and more meds which would have been avoided with a 1-2 day stay at the vets imo.

With Axle I chose every extra possible EXCEPT overnight and I regret it. Gizmo I asked the vet what he would do for his dog if it was free, and I chose those options. He said a few of them have almost no benefit and are wank factor.

Ooh I see your reason now for wishing you'd left Axle there overnight. That bottom suture looks like it came undone too.

Yep that's what I'd call invasive surgery.

My boy Teddy had one testi as well which the vet realised was not there once he got him on the table, and I believe they kept him over night. They didnt send him home with any pain medication though and I asked for some and got Rimadyl. I didnt end up using it though because his wound was seeping fluid and there was a huge ball of fluid collecting in his wound. I took him back the next morning and he ended up staying at the vets for a week because it was infected and it was very serious! He almost died and the vet still couldnt find the other testi.

When Daisy got desexed at 6 months she also had her cherry eye fixed at the same time and they didnt send her home with any pain medication I don't think. Just the 24 hour injection as standard. She didnt need any though as she was bouncing all over the place the same night as if nothing had happened. It was sooo hard to keep her quiet and stop her launching off chairs etc.

The vets always tell me that they don't usually give Staffords extra pain meds as they dont normally need it.

I would keep a close eye on your dog and if you're worried at all, even slightly, take her back to the vet asap. I would rather be seen to over react than under react and pay the consequences!

Edited April 16, 2008 by Qute74

[mita]

My GSD was desexed today and she really looks like she is in pain. I know she is a bit dopey still and feeling sorry for herself but that look on her face is doing me in.

Do vets ever prescribe pain killers afterwards because she hasnt been given anything. She has had an antibiotic shot but thats all.

My Gracie (a Tibbie) seemed the same to me after her desexing. She didn't have a drama-queen temperament & had had some litters of puppies when with her breeder. So I took her distress seriously.

I phoned the vet & said she needed some kind of pain relief. They very reluctantly said OK, to come over & get some tablets. I was not impressed & took Gracie immediately to another highly recommended vet.....who agreed she needed pain relief & gave her an injection.

In the next days, I noticed an inflamed 'bubbling' in the wound....& took her to this second vet again.

He rightly diagnosed that she was having an allergic reaction to the internal sutures. So she needed treatment for that.

He said that if the reaction didn't respond, he might have to operate to remove those internal sutures. Fortunately the treatment worked.

If I have a female dog being desexed again, I will ask about pain relief before she has the operation, so there'll be no more of the distress I saw in Gracie. I'm also now aware that a dog with a tendency to allergy, can have a reaction to the internal sutures.

[Guest The Warden]

Ohhh, I regret not leaving him there. He had invasive surgery - one undescended ball.

The reason I wish I left Axle there is this:

coupled with hundreds of dollars in follow up vet checks and more meds which would have been avoided with a 1-2 day stay at the vets imo.

With Axle I chose every extra possible EXCEPT overnight and I regret it. Gizmo I asked the vet what he would do for his dog if it was free, and I chose those options. He said a few of them have almost no benefit and are wank factor.

Ooh I see your reason now for wishing you'd left Axle there overnight. That bottom suture looks like it came undone too.

Yep that's what I'd call invasive surgery.

My boy Teddy had one testi as well which the vet realised was not there once he got him on the table, and I believe they kept him over night. They didnt send him home with any pain medication though and I asked for some and got Rimadyl. I didnt end up using it though because his wound was seeping fluid and there was a huge ball of fluid collecting in his wound. I took him back the next morning and he ended up staying at the vets for a week because it was infected and it was very serious! He almost died and the vet still couldnt find the other testi.

When Daisy got desexed at 6 months she also had her cherry eye fixed at the same time and they didnt send her home with any pain medication I don't think. Just the 24 hour injection as standard. She didnt need any though as she was bouncing all over the place the same night as if nothing had happened. It was sooo hard to keep her quiet and stop her launching off chairs etc.

The vets always tell me that they don't usually give Staffords extra pain meds as they dont normally need it.

I would keep a close eye on your dog and if you're worried at all, even slightly, take her back to the vet asap. I would rather be seen to over react than under react and pay the consequences!

Yeah, my vet didn't notice till he was on the table as well.

[Janba]

Ohhh, I regret not leaving him there. He had invasive surgery - one undescended ball.

Yeah, my vet didn't notice till he was on the table as well.

How can you not notice if you dog only has one testis? I notice them when I groom, belly rub etc

[Guest The Warden]

I had no idea because I don't study dogs balls for a living I don't touch them, so I just saw his sack and assumed he had two? Keep in mind Axle was *my* first dog... We've had family dogs before but I was young.

[stormie]

IMO, boys should be checked on admission by the nurse/vet to make sure both testis are there, that way the owners can be notified.

[GotAnyBlacker]

Ohhh, I regret not leaving him there. He had invasive surgery - one undescended ball.

Yeah, my vet didn't notice till he was on the table as well.

How can you not notice if you dog only has one testis? I notice them when I groom, belly rub etc

I'd only had Teddy a week or two before I got him desexed as he was a foster. I'd never had a male dog before him either.

Edited April 17, 2008 by Qute74

[Guest The Warden]

IMO, boys should be checked on admission by the nurse/vet to make sure both testis are there, that way the owners can be notified.

They ring you and as if you'd like the surgery to go ahead.

[rugerfly]

Roogie was done today and they told me to give him his pain relief. poor roogie.

[westiemum]

Any news???

My westie girl was desexed at 6 and a half, very soon after I got her as a mature westie. She came home that afternoon having had extra IV fluids and a long-acting pain killing injection (or was it a patch?? Can't remember... seeing a theme here??). I don't remember her having anti-biotics but she may have done. She was quiet and groggy for 24 hours, spent all her time on the lounge (her fav place!) and then the following day was bouncing around like a puppy. I genuinely believe the extra IV fluids make an enormous difference to recovery after surgery and so mine always have them. My girl recovered without incident, amazingly well - and I think it has a lot to do with the care and skill of her vet.

I think your girl's vomitting is a worry - and I think it can also be related to dehydration (but I might be wrong). I've also often wondered if dehydration in dogs can produce those excruiating headaches in dogs as it does in humans - which may explain why they respond to pain relief??? Not sure.

Anyway,I'd be asking the vet for pain killers and a serious check of her hydration and her wound (to check its not infected) - and go elsewhere if they don't take your concerns seriously - your girl's worth it.

Hope she's OK and recovering well.

Westiemum

[stormie]

IMO, boys should be checked on admission by the nurse/vet to make sure both testis are there, that way the owners can be notified.

They ring you and as if you'd like the surgery to go ahead.

I realise that, but what if owners can't be contacted at that time? It's just easier if its checked when owners bring them in there and then, that way they can even be shown and price discussed better.

[SarasMum]

Any news???

My westie girl was desexed at 6 and a half, very soon after I got her as a mature westie. She came home that afternoon having had extra IV fluids and a long-acting pain killing injection (or was it a patch?? Can't remember... seeing a theme here??). I don't remember her having anti-biotics but she may have done. She was quiet and groggy for 24 hours, spent all her time on the lounge (her fav place!) and then the following day was bouncing around like a puppy. I genuinely believe the extra IV fluids make an enormous difference to recovery after surgery and so mine always have them. My girl recovered without incident, amazingly well - and I think it has a lot to do with the care and skill of her vet.

I think your girl's vomitting is a worry - and I think it can also be related to dehydration (but I might be wrong). I've also often wondered if dehydration in dogs can produce those excruiating headaches in dogs as it does in humans - which may explain why they respond to pain relief??? Not sure.

Anyway,I'd be asking the vet for pain killers and a serious check of her hydration and her wound (to check its not infected) - and go elsewhere if they don't take your concerns seriously - your girl's worth it.

Hope she's OK and recovering well.

Westiemum

She is fine now. She stopped vomiting and had small sips of water through the night. It took a few days but she is back to her old noisy self. The wound looks really good and we will head back at the end of the week to remove the stitches.

She is currenly out the backyard chasing flies