How We Manage Your Pet’s Surgical Pain

If your pet has an upcoming surgery appointment, we know you probably have many questions. “Will my pet be in pain” is one of the most common ones we get asked at our hospital. Just as with humans, any type of procedure that involves altering the body in some way can certainly result in a level of discomfort. The good news is: pain and discomfort can be easily managed with preventive measures. We believe managing pain is more about prevention than treatment. There are many pathways to pain, and our goal is to block them all.

Pain management is a critical component of our surgery protocols at Lakeside Veterinary Center. While some veterinarians give an injection of an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and send home NSAID pills, we take a few additional steps. After all, if YOU were about to undergo a potentially painful surgery, you would want more than ibuprofen-type medication for relief. That’s why we implement a multimodal pain management strategy for all of our surgical patients.

Green bird: Pain Management in Laurel

Multimodal Pain Management Strategies

Our multimodal pain management strategies include:

  • Preoperative pain blockers
  • General anesthetics that help block pain
  • Epidural injections
  • Local anesthesia at the site of insertion of IV catheters and at the site of surgical incision
  • Pain medications administered immediately after surgery, and pain medication to go home 

Whether your pet is due to have surgery or a dental procedure performed, we want him to be as comfortable as possible. Ask us about our pain management strategies for your pet’s surgery or dental work by calling 301-498-8387.

Dog's leg: Pain Management in Laurel
EMLA gel applied to Lacey’s leg where an intravenous catheter will be inserted.
Dog's leg being bandaged: Pain Management in Laurel
EMLA gel spread onto site and covered with Press and Seal®
Dog lying in vet's lap: Pet Pain Management in Laurel
Our patient Lacey with the Press and Seal® covered with a red bandage. In 20 minutes, she will feel no pain when the catheter is inserted. We use EMLA for almost all our patients getting catheters—dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs.

left-quoteDogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.right-quote

— Orhan Pamuk