Quite often our clients ask if pain medication should or could be given for their pets who have just had eye surgery. Although not every patient needs pain medication, new information indicates that for some surgeries, pain medication is quite helpful. Unfortunately, not every patient can receive medication for the following reasons:
First, the surgery performed at our clinic is done with the latest equipment and techniques. Usually there is very little pain following surgery and for that reason medication isn't always needed. Unlike bone surgery, most of our surgeries are performed on soft tissues alone and pain from soft tissue surgery resolves in a very short time. This is like getting a 'paper cut' on a finger. For the first few hours it is quite painful and yet the pain rapidly resolves after that period of time.
Second, some pain medications are narcotic agents that have effects on the eyes. Narcotics have side effects which are not important when pain is in the leg or back, for instance, but are very important when surgery has been performed on the eye. Additionally, narcotic agents cause cats quite a bit of adverse reactions.
Third, if your pet is so painful that pain medication is needed, we absolutely must see your pet!!!!! Pain is an important indicator to the veterinary ophthalmologist that something is amiss. Any patient with swelling of the surgery site, restlessness, whining or crying out, excessive redness to the tissue, squinting, pawing at the eye or rubbing the eye on furniture, your leg or rugs should be examined.
Most often our patients dislike the Elizabethan collar (which is necessary after surgery to prevent our patients from rubbing at their eyes) and want it off more than they are in pain.
Have any questions on this subject? Contact
Dennis Hacker via E-mail:
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