In Issue 35 the start of a fascinating discussion on pain relief:
 
  Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2001 21:22:28 +0000
  Subject: Re: Digest Number 31
 
We didn't use painkillers for years, and the odd animal took their stitches
out.  Now we do, and the odd animal takes its stitches out..... As for the
argument that pain means the animal will keep quiet...I used to use this
argument too, but I don't think I really believe it any more.  I don't
think the sort of painkillers likely to be given as routine pain relief
after surgery are sufficiently powerful to completely remove all sensation
of pain, just to take the edge off things.  Chewing yourself open would
still hurt!  Certainly when my own ferret, whose normal behaviour I
obviously know, was recovering from her spay, with Rimadyl, she was still
a little subdued and, I therefore conclude, in pain (wouldn't have been
the GA making her quiet as that was isofluorane) - but I like to think I
spared her some distress with the pain relief.  I spayed a very overweight
Labrador on Friday (only 8 months old, so she'll be even more overweight
soon).  Because she was fat, the surgery was difficult and so she ended up
more bruised, etc than one would like.  She had a morphine derivative in
her premed and Rimadyl for post-op pain relief and was still yelping with
pain in the first few hours after surgery.  I feel happier that at least I
did what I could to minimize her discomfort after the operation.  You will
always get the occasional exception as XXXXXX described, but on the whole
it's a rare animal that disembowels itself (rabbits possibly excepted).
Owners can mostly prevent violent physical exercise in the first week or
two after surgery, and abdominal sutures ought normally to withstand
ordinary physical activity.  I feel a lot more comfortable that I am
providing the best service I can for the animals with pain relief and I
shall carry on doing so.  Obviously anyone who is concerned about this
issue should make their views, whatever they may be, clear to their own
vet, who will generally (I hope!) abide by them or explain their normal
way of doing things.  Depending what drugs they use, different vets may
have differing experiences in this area.
 
Best wishes,
Alison Skipper MRCVS, UK
[Posted in FML issue 3349]