Pain meds for after neuter?

[Revverress]

Spot goes in for the big snip tomorrow, and I was wondering what pain meds, if any, he would possibly get. Also, how long is the recovery period on a neuter? I'll be talking with the vet tomorrow after the surgery anyway, but since this is the first rabbit I've ever had spayed/neutered, I'm nervous about making sure I do things right.

Sorry if this has been posted before; it's 1AM here, and I'm a little too tired to be forum searching tonight.

Thanks!
Holly

 

[Pipp]

Definitely ASK for post surgery pain meds. Medicam is the usual.

They will give him a long-lasting shot of something heavy before he leaves the vet's office, but in my experience, it wears off too soon. Having a couple of days worth of oral meds on hand is prudent.

Good luck with it all!


sas :clover:

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

:yeahthat: Be prepared for a vet that might say that pain meds arent neccessary for a nueter. I was very sure of what i wanted and my vet did give pain meds so make sure you tell them that you defintely want them and make sure you find out if they are going to give them to you. Good luck

 

[ra7751]

Hi,

I have probably been involved in as many or more spays/neuters than most. Discuss take home pain meds before the surgery. Many vets will tell you they give a "one time" injection that is good for several days. Hogwash. The injection they use is mainly either Butorphenol (Torbugesic) or Buprenorphine (Buprenex). Torb wears off after less than 2 hours...Buprenorphine is good for up to 12 hours.

Many vets will send home Metacam. It is in the NSAID family of drugs...same as our Tylenol. While it is better than nothing, I think I would want more then Tylenol after any surgery I have....I would expect nothing different with my rabbits. Buprenex is the absolute best analgesic. It can be administered orally or by IM or IP injection....twice a day. It is a controlled drug so some vets hesitate to send it home. Another drug, Tramadol, is an excellent alternative. Most vets are not aware of using this drug in rabbits. It comes in 50mg tablet so it should be compounded into a suspension....that isn't rocket science so any vet tech should be able to do that...and flavor it too. Tramadol is not a controlled drug but still requires a RX. Not only is it effective....it's not expensive so it won't break the bank.

I usually offer pain meds for neuters for up to 3 days and up to 5 days for spays....assuming no unusual situations. I do not offer antibiotics unless there was a pre-existing infection.

Randy

 

[Revverress]

Thanks everyone. They didn't send any home with him, so I'm going to try calling the vet later today [she's in surgery until later this afternoon, or else I would have talked to her at the office]. The lady at the desk was very kind, but was not being very helpful, so I didn't pursue the issue.

Does a recovery period of one week sound ok? I'm planning on putting extra levels in his cage next weekend, but I want to be sure he's completely recovered from the surgery before then.

Holly

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

One week would probably be the minimum to wait. He will still need to heal and there could still a a risk of the incision opening. If you are going to do it then, put up a ramp just in case. After about another week, you could probably take the ramp down.
When I got Penny spayed, I waited until the incision check at the vet (about 2 weeks later) to move her into the NIC cage with the levels.

Ask the vet when they would recommend letting him go back to his normal activities. That would be a good time. If they do an incision check, you could wait until then.

 

[Sabine]

My Benny was back to normal a few hours after the operation. I didn't encourage jumping though for quite a while. having said that less than a week later he jumped out of his enclosure twice. I do think that the pain killer injection right after the op is enough for males.

 

[pumpkinhead]

Yep Toby was the same. He was a little sorry for himself and lethargic for a few hours, but soon he was up and running around again, eating normally and by the next day he seemed almost back to normal.

I guess it can depend on the vet as well though and how they perform the surgery - Toby's incisions were tiny, perhaps 10 mm each side.

 

[Revverress]

Argh, I called and left a message, and no one called me back, and the office is closed for the weekend now... >.< I think I'm just going to nix the pain meds and keep a close eye on him, since I wouldn't be able to get them until Monday anyway.

Thanks everyone, I'll double check with the vet next week and lengthen the recovery time until then. He's eating and pooping just fine, and he even got out of his cage earlier and started tearing around the room... I think he's going to be back to his crazy self in no time.

Holly