Dispelling the Myth: Pain Relief for Animals After Spaying and Castration

[Guest guest]

[This article appeared in THE FERAL CAT TIMES, published by the Feral

Cat Spay/Neuter Project, 11331 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle WA 98125

USA; www.feralcatproject.org]

 

Dispelling the Myth - Pain Relief

 

In " the old days, " vets believed the myth that if the cats

were in pain, then they'd hold still and not hurt their incisions.

Years ago, research with hidden video cameras proved the opposite:

animals in pain are restless and move around seeking a comfortable

position, yet animals receiving pain relief rest quietly after

surgery. Further studies clearly demonstrate that pain relief

hastens recovery.

Another well-proven fact is that pain relief should be

provided before pain is induced, if possible. Thus, pre-operative

pain relievers decrease postoperative pain better than if pain relief

is first given after surgery.

Like many veterinary practices, we originally used

butorphanol (also known as " torb " ) for pain relief, but soon

realized that it only provided about two hours of relief. Simply not

enough. After further inquiry, Dr. Christine Wilford discovered

that some veterinary anesthesiologists believe butorphanol might

actually suppress the cat's internal pain relief system, in effect

exacerbating their post-operative pain. Not what we wanted,

needless to say.

Another pain reliever that some clinics use is within the

drug class called NSAID, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug,

although not approved for use in cats. However, side effects from

NSAIDs can be serious and experts recommend against using NSAIDs for

animals going under anesthesia.

Many caretakers have asked lately what we use for pain relief

at our clinic. Male cats for routine neuter receive pain relief from

their injectable anesthetic cocktail that includes four drugs. These

drugs provide pain relief to the superficial tissues involved in

routine neuter surgery.

However, for deeper abdominal surgery, such as a spay or

cryptorchid male cat, we administer a drug called buprenorphine that

offers deep and effective pain relief lasting for 8-12 hours.

Buprenorphine does not further sedate the cat or increase risk of

anesthetic complications. It is very affordable at about $00.30 (30

cents) per dose.

 

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