Pain After Surgery Is Not Inevitable — It Is Manageable
Veterinary understanding of animal pain has advanced significantly in recent decades. It is now well established that cats and dogs experience post-operative pain in ways that are physiologically analogous to human pain, and that unmanaged pain delays healing, suppresses immune function, and causes measurable psychological distress. Effective pain management is not a comfort luxury — it is a clinical necessity and a welfare imperative.
How to Recognise Pain in Dogs and Cats
Animals do not communicate pain in the same ways humans do, and many mask discomfort instinctively. Knowing what to look for helps you report accurately to your vet and ensures pain relief is adjusted if needed.
Signs of pain in dogs
- Guarding the surgical site (hunching, avoiding touch)
- Restlessness or inability to settle
- Panting when not hot or anxious
- Reduced appetite and withdrawal from interaction
- Vocalising when moving or being touched near the wound
Signs of pain in cats
- Hiding and refusing to come out
- Flattened ears and a tense, hunched posture
- Facial grimacing (narrowed eyes, whiskers pulled back, tense muzzle)
- Failure to groom or over-grooming of the surgical site
- Uncharacteristic aggression when handled
Veterinary pain scoring tools exist to formalise this assessment. If you are concerned your pet is uncomfortable at home, contacting your vet with a description of these behaviours is always the right step.
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are the workhorse of post-operative pain management in dogs and, increasingly, in cats. They reduce both pain and inflammation by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase enzymes that drive the inflammatory cascade. For many routine procedures, an NSAID alone provides sufficient analgesia during the recovery period.
Veterinary NSAIDs are formulated specifically for animal physiology. Human NSAIDs — including ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen — are not safe substitutes. Ibuprofen causes gastrointestinal ulceration and acute kidney injury in dogs and cats at doses that would be therapeutic in humans. This is not a theoretical risk; NSAID toxicity is among the most common drug poisonings seen in veterinary emergency practice.
Cats have particular sensitivity to NSAIDs due to differences in hepatic metabolism. Veterinary-licensed options exist for cats, but dosing, duration, and patient selection require careful veterinary judgement. Never extend or repeat an NSAID course without checking with your vet.
Opioids in Veterinary Pain Management
For more painful procedures — orthopaedic surgery, thoracic surgery, major soft tissue operations — opioid analgesics are incorporated into the protocol. These may be administered during the procedure itself, in the immediate post-operative period in the clinic, or occasionally sent home in the form of weaker opioid compounds where legislation and clinical need align.
Opioids in veterinary practice include agents such as methadone, buprenorphine, and tramadol, each with different potency, duration of action, and appropriate use cases. Buprenorphine, for instance, is commonly used in cats post-operatively and can be administered transmucosally — absorbed through the gum — which is practical for home use.
These medications are prescription-only and subject to controlled drug regulations. They are prescribed at specific doses for specific weights and should never be shared between animals or adjusted without veterinary guidance.
Multimodal Analgesia: The Modern Standard
The most effective approach to post-surgical pain management uses multiple drug classes simultaneously, targeting different pain pathways rather than relying on any single agent at high dose. This is called multimodal analgesia, and it is now considered the standard of care in progressive veterinary practice.
Agents used in combination
- NSAIDs: Peripheral anti-inflammatory action
- Opioids: Central pain modulation, particularly for acute severe pain
- Local anaesthetics: Regional nerve blocks administered during surgery to blunt the immediate post-operative pain response
- Gabapentin: Increasingly used for neuropathic pain components, particularly in orthopaedic cases or procedures involving nerve proximity
- Paracetamol (acetaminophen): Licensed for dogs only, never cats; used in combination protocols
By combining agents at lower individual doses, the multimodal approach achieves superior pain control while reducing the risk of side effects from any single drug. A dog recovering from cruciate ligament repair, for instance, may receive a nerve block intra-operatively, an opioid in the immediate recovery period, an NSAID course to go home, and gabapentin for the longer-term neuropathic component.
Supporting Pain Management at Home
- Give all prescribed medications at the correct time and complete the full course, even if your pet appears comfortable
- Do not give additional doses without consulting your vet, even if you feel the current dose is insufficient
- Note any side effects: vomiting, diarrhoea, reduced urine output, or excessive sedation should be reported
- Provide a comfortable, low surface for resting to reduce strain on the surgical site
- Minimise handling and keep the environment calm — stress has a measurable effect on pain perception
- Contact your clinic if your pet seems distressed between doses or if pain appears to be worsening rather than improving
Pain management after surgery is a collaborative effort between your veterinary team and you. Prescribed protocols are designed around your specific pet, the procedure performed, and their individual health status. Follow the plan, observe closely, and communicate — well-managed pain is one of the greatest gifts you can give an animal in your care during their recovery.