Need to know if your spayed dog got pain meds?

Question

I am not an experienced dog owner, and my female chi is going to be spayed next week. I would like to know from anyone who had their female dog spayed if they have pain meds or not after the operation, and the comments regarding if they think it was necessary or not. I would like as much help making this decision because at work the few dog owners are pretty split on this. One said yes, dogs feel the pain acutely but won't show you, another said no, dogs don't feel pain the way humans do and I will waste money on meds. It's $50 for 5 days, and I am willing to spend that if she's going to be in pain.

Answer 1

Please know that a "routine" spay procedure is an very involved and often serious surgery. The doctor is removing the reproductive organ from your dogs abdomen, leaving a decent size incision. There has been manipulating, pulling, severing, and suturing to the inside of the abdominal cavity and two or three separate layers of suture material applied inside the skin, itself ( in most cases).

A lot of animal hospitals will require that a pain injection be given and not allow this decision to be optional. If you do happen to have the choice, it is only humane to give the dog some pain relief. They can wake up disoriented and frightened from the anesthetic, pain shouldn't be another obstacle to contend with, and she will most certainly be in pain without it. The discomfort, like any major surgery can linger for days after the surgery took place, which is why you should opt for the oral pain medication that will be sent home with you.  

Answer 2

Of course she will need pain meds, why would you let her suffer?

As to whoever says dogs don't feel pain - they're dead wrong, dogs just try not to show pain because that is a sign of weakness and it is dangerous for a dog to look weak to other dogs normally.

Your dog will likely get a 24 hour pain shot from the vet, that will tide her over, then I always get pain pills for at least 3 to 5 days - not as strong as the shot, but enough to take care of any discomfort the dog has.  

I do think 50.- for the pain meds is very high - shouldn't cost that much, are you sure you understood?

In any case, please get the pain killers for your dog, you don't want to her to suffer needlessly.

Alias boxer -- every dog I have had spayed has gotten pain pills, most vets will send them home with the dog, I can't imagine why you think it isn't done.   I am with a rescue and foster, so have had many dogs spayed and neutered.   Neutering is far less involved and really doesn't require pain meds usually, again, the 24 hour pain shot is given, but spaying is more involved, there is deep pain involved - and, yes, dogs try not to show pain, it is a sign of weakness and can be very dangerous in the wild, so that is a vestige of wild dog behavior in our companion dogs.   By the time a dog is showing pain and yelping or moaning, the pain is very bad indeed - normally they try to stifle it.

Answer 3

My dog was given no pain medications afterwards.  I don't know of any dogs who HAVE had pain meds after spay, either.  I don't think it's necessary -- my dog was a LITTLE slow the day after, but back to normal by the third day.  She didn't need to be drugged up anymore.

And per your comment, I don't understand how a dog can feel "acute pain" without showing any signs of it -- doesn't that contradict the meaning of the phrase?

Add:

If your dog is having laser surgery, which lends a speedier recovery, there is even less reason to give pain meds.

Answer 4

Maybe she got pain meds in the vet hospital, but I didn't get any to take home.  She didn't seem to be in any pain at all, though.

edit 8/20/08--when I say "I didn't get any" I mean that I wasn't offered any or advised that they were available.  My vet lived 2 doors down, and I assumed everything was copacetic.

Answer 5

get the pain meds though i think your vet charges too much

Answer 6

i did, ive got my dogs pain medication after they were neutered

Answer 7

$50 for 5 days is too much.  ask for rimadyl if they have it.  it is an anti-inflammatory pain med and will work great.  also, she should only need 2-3 days worth.  her incision will be totally healed in 7-10 days so there is no need for that much medication.

Answer 8

Remember when you get her spayed...it's like a human getting a Hysterectomy! This is a major surgery, please get pain meds, especially her size. This is very painful. Animals handle pain a lot better than people, but still consider it!

Answer 9

mine did, but i don't think we gave him any, maybe one the first day.  i would get it just in case.  it helps to keep them from moving too much the first few days.  

Answer 10

A spay is a major abdominal surgery, so yes I would strongly advise the pain meds for at least 3 days post-op and a pre-op injection. The pre-op injection will reduce the amount of anesthetic needed (ideally.) I do think $50 is alot for pain meds to go home, but I'm not sure what they give. Dogs have alot of different ways of showing pain, but they have the same type of nervous system as us so I think for your friends to say they don't feel pain like we do-well they're misinformed. They just show it differently.