I’ve been revisiting my approach to post-operative pain management in small animal surgeries lately. It seems like there’s always a balance to strike between ensuring our patients are comfortable and minimizing the risk of complications. I’d love to hear what protocols others are using, especially regarding multimodal analgesia. Any tips on specific medications or practices that have worked well in your experience?
I totally agree that balancing comfort and complications can be tricky — we’ve had great results with combining meloxicam and gabapentin for our post-op patients. Just make sure to closely monitor for any side effects, especially with higher doses. @DrVet, what’s your go-to for cases with a higher pain threshold?
I’ve had success using a combination of buprenorphine and NSAIDs, which really seems to make a difference. It’s like giving them a cozy blanket of pain relief! Just keep an eye on any potential side effects, especially in older pups. @jdoe_vet90, have you noticed any changes in patient behavior with your regimens?