Dealing With Your Pet's Pain:
Severe Acute and Chronic Pain
By Christie Keith
This article was updated with new information on August 13, 2008. In the first article in this series, I showed that recent veterinary research had demonstrated that controlling pain in animals speeds healing and recovery, , and that uncontrolled pain in and of itself is harmful to the animal. In the second article, I looked at some alternatives for dealing with mild injuries and chronic pain, tramadol old age related, such as mild arthritis. In the last article in the series, I am going to look at options for handling pain after surgery, from severe injuries, and severe chronic pain, generic versions of tramadol. Some vets and pet owners appear to believe that a little pain is a good thing if it helps keep the pet quiet during recovery from surgery or an injury, tramadol old age related. Given the fact that pain lengthens recovery time and suppresses the immune system, this attitude is one that must be laid to rest forever. If the pet needs to be kept from moving around, , crates, tramadol old age related, cages, carriers, leashes, and other forms of confinement must be used instead of pain, tramadol old age related. Furthermore, , pain is a very unreliable form of restraint. Surgery Whether the surgery is a simple neuter or spay or hours-long orthopedic surgery, it will cause pain in your dog or cat. Even if your pet is frisky and hungry the next day, this does not mean he or she is not experiencing pain, and that relieving that pain will not be beneficial to your pet. For minor surgeries such as neutering or a dentistry, discuss pain management with your vet prior to the surgery, , and find out what, if any, pain medications they will give your dog or cat after the procedure, tramadol old age related, and how long it will last. If they do not regularly prescribe any post-procedure pain medication to use at home, request something to use if your pet is in pain. It is possible, even likely, dog owners will be offered the drug Torbugesic (butorphanol), tramadol old age related, usually in VAL syrup. While commonly prescribed, Torbugesic is a very poor pain drug for dogs, , lasting an extremely short amount of time and not controlling pain very well during that time. If you ask for something other than Torbugesic, the next most common suggestion is a drig such as Rimadyl, Metacam, , or a number of other drugs in the class known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs. While these drugs are, in my view, over-prescribed for minor and chronic pain, and carry a number of risks many dog owners aren't aware of, they play an important role in the control of severe pain, including post-surgical pain. However, there is another option that can be used instead of, or sometimes in combination with, tramadol old age related, NSAIDs, and that's the human drug Tramadol (Ultram). My first experience with this drug was when it was prescribed for my dog Rebel after surgery. This drug is being increasingly used in veterinary medicine, and I've found it to be invaluable for post-surgical pain as well as for certain injuries and even chronic pain. I wrote an article about Tramadol for the veterinary technician blog VetTechs, and it can be found here: Tramadol, tramadol old age related. I will discuss complementary and alternative veterinary medicine for mild post-surgical pain control in dogs below, tramadol by the pill. Cats are generally prescribed the drug Buprenex (buprenorphine), which is administered by rubbing or squirting on the gums, , for pain management at home, tramadol old age related. It is usually dispensed in pre-measured syringes and is very effective. For more serious surgeries, including full abdominal surgery such as a spay (a spay is not, , contrary to popular perception, a minor surgical procedure; ask any woman who has had a hysterectomy), I have had extremely good results using narcotic pain relievers for my dogs, tramadol by the pill. Morphine, fentanyl, and other powerful drugs can serve to keep your dog sedated and resting and pain-free while he or she recovers from the enormous stress and assault of major surgery. I have used holistic alternatives, but in every case these were as complements to, tramadol old age related, not instead of, , allopathic pain medications prescribed by my vet. For example, narcotics tend to make dogs queasy, tramadol old age related, and so I usually give a product called Minty Ginger by the company Herbs for Kids to dogs who are on narcotic drugs, tramadol by the pill. Tramadol does not seem to cause the nausea that narcotics often do. Orthopedic surgeries tend to be the most painful of all, and if your dog or cat is having such a procedure, it's best to have it done by a surgical specialist, tramadol order by 3 cst. Most surgeons will be able to guide you in selecting a proper course of pain management for your pet, tramadol old age related. Because the pain from such surgery tends to be worse and longer lasting than abdominal surgery, , this is a time when I might consider using NSAIDs after a period of narcotics, tramadol old age related. I don't like the effects of long-term narcotic use, although addiction is not the issue with pets that it is with humans, and after a few days of dozing and recovering, it's not really practical to keep the dog groggy when he or she could be aware and interacting with family members. If the dog or cat has good kidney and liver function as determined by pre-surgery blood panels, , and if you and your vet can continue to monitor kidney and liver function while the pet is on the drugs, tramadol old age related, this is a time you might want to consider Rimadyl, Deramaxx, or one of the other Cox-inhibiting pain medications, generic versions of tramadol. Tramadol may be a better choice, as it doesn't have the GI side effects of the NSAIDs, , and is not as sedating as Fentanyl or morphine. However, at the higher doses, tramadol old age related, it will have a sedative effect, tramadol hund dosierung. The combination of Tramadol and COX-inhibitors is especially effective, and the harm NSAIDs cause to the GI tract can be minimized with certain supplements, , herbs, and even other drugs. For more information, you can review my article Misoprostol and More: Making NSIADs easier on your dog's gut. Prevention is Better than Cure It is better to prevent pain than to try to eliminate it after the fact, and for that reason, most state-of-the-art anesthetic protocols include pre-procedure pain medication. This prevents what is called "wind-up," and is an excellent method of minimizing the adverse effects of pain on your dog's recovery. New techniques including applying Duragesic (fentanyl) patches the night before surgery, or using epidurals, are very effective in dogs and cats and can speed recovery time substantially. If your vet is not familiar with this approach, ask him or her to contact UC Davis or another veterinary school, and consult with an anesthesiologist. If your vet does not stock Duragesic patches, , he or she can phone a prescription in to your local pharmacy, where you can pick it up and bring it to the office for application. Obviously this is something that requires advance planning. Holistic Alternatives For minor surgical pain or injuries that are more severe than discussed in the previous articles in this series, some holistic alternatives are extremely effective. If available, , acupuncture will both relieve pain and relax your pet, helping him or her cope with stress better. For dogs, buffered aspirin or the herb white willow bark can take the edge off minor pain. Do not use these on cats, tramadol old age related. For dogs or cats, the homeopathic remedy arnica can be powerful for post-surgical pain, or pain from injuries. For severe pain I use arnica in the 1M or 10M potency. For dosages and directions, please consult your holistic veterinarian or refer to my earlier article on minor pain. Herbal or homeopathic gels containing calendula officianalis are wonderful for putting on incisions. They help with pain, tramadol old age related, itching, and irritation; I've used them on my own surgical incisions and the relief was immediate and unmistakable. I have noticed that my dogs or cats leave their incisions alone much more readily when they are treated with calendula. What about holistic alternatives for serious pain, surgical recovery, tramadol old age related, or severe chronic pain? In the case of severe chronic pain, , the types of approaches I've outlined in the previous article on managing chronic pain will already have been tried and either did not work, or have stopped working. The owner has decided that quality of life is low, and the big guns need to be brought in. When that time comes, tramadol old age related, holistic alternatives are likely to become complements to allopathic drug treatment instead of primary therapies. Unless the animal is young and recovery is likely, the only questions to ask at this point are questions about quality of life: Is my dog or cat suffering? Can I relieve that suffering? If not, is it fair to let him or her continue to suffer? Certainly if euthanasia is the only alternative, , risky drugs are well worth trying. Veterinary NSAIDs like Rimadyl, Etogesic, and Deramaxx have gotten a lot of positive hype but also been the subject of an enormous amount of negative Internet attention. I believe these drugs are more dangerous than most people realize, but are also valuable tools in the management of serious pain, tramadol hund dosierung. Putting your pet to sleep without trying them is a tragic missed opportunity. Even if liver and kidney function is not perfect (as is often the case in older and chronically ill pets), it is still worth discussing their use with your veterinarian, tramadol old age related. Draw baseline bloodwork, monitor the levels after a week or two on the drugs, and then at frequent intervals thereafter, and you will do a great deal to reduce the risks. Work with a holistic vet on supportive supplements and herbs, and you can reduce those risks even further. (For more information, again, tramadol old age related, you can read my article on minimizing the impact of NSAIDs on the dog's GI tract here.) This does not mean your pet will not be harmed by the use of NSAIDs; drug reactions tend to be highly individualized, and some pets have died while on NSAIDs. Nonetheless, if quality of life is poor, and alternatives do not help, it is a risk most pet owners will take. Just do it with your eyes open, instead of blindly accepting the NSAID prescription as if it were no more risky than a dog biscuit, tramadol hund dosierung. Even if the pet is on NSAID or other drug therapy, don't abandon the alternatives, both holistic and conventional, outlined earlier. For example, if your dog has arthritis or similar conditions, acupuncture can be powerfully effective in combination with allopathic medications, and the drug Adequan actually rebuilds cartilage and lubricates and cushions your pet's joints. Let the NSAID handle the pain, but continue using alternatives to help heal and support the body, tramadol hund dosierung. Similarily, drugs such as Tramadol can be used with NSAIDs to great effect, and many dogs with severe arthritis or cancer pain also get excellent pain control from a combination of those drugs with those that address neurological pain such as amantadine, gabapentin, and even stronger narcotics, tramadol old age related. Use all the tools available to give your pet the best possible quality of life, 1000 tramadol. There is nothing "holistic" about suffering or pain. A Closing Note about Veterinary Care It is always difficult, as a layperson, to evaluate the course of medical treatment prescribed by a veterinarian. There are many vets I know in whose hands I would willingly place my pets' pain control needs, and know that they would use the safest, most effective, tramadol old age related, and most up-to-date protocols, generic versions of tramadol. But just as with any profession, from human medical doctors to car mechanics to hairdressers to contractors, , there are those veterinarians who are more skilled, and who do more research, , than others, tramadol old age related. If a veterinarian caring for one of my pets does not appear share my beliefs on the importance of pain management, I seek another veterinarian, tramadol old age related. Also just as in human medicine, it is sometimes hard for general veterinary practitioners to be up-to-date on every specialty, such as surgery or pain management or anesthesia, and often, a specialist will be able to give your pet better care in a specific area than your general practice vet will. Just as I would not go to my regular doctor for surgery, tramadol old age related, I do not use my regular vet for surgery either; I seek out a surgeon. And when it comes to anesthesia and analgesia, I seek out, or consult with, or have the surgical staff consult with, an anesthesiologist. The two drawbacks to this practice are that it's expensive, and it sometimes offends your regular vet, 1000 tramadol. Fortunately my regular vet is in a practice with specialists, so she is able to remain the vet of record while I'm able to avail myself of the services of the specialists. The issue of cost is a valid one, but if affordable for the pet owner, well worth the investment in terms of improved safety and better outcomes. I even used boarded surgeons for simple spays and neuters; tramadol order by 3 cst; while much more expensive, in absolute terms the surgeries do not cost that much money and I feel it's worth it.
Buy Tramadol Online at Lowest Price Why should you think about buying Tramadol online? If you do not have money for a doctors visit or going to the pharmacy for your prescription afterwards then do not worry. Order online. It is easy and mailed directly to you and right at your doorstep. By using online pharmacies you can get great discounts on the price of your medicine. Online pharmacies have less employees which keep their costs down and the drugs are the same quality as you get from your own pharmacy, tramadol old age related. They get the medication from the big company and give directly to you which helps get rid of the middle man. You also do not have to stand in line and wait forever. A even more important point is that they handle your orders with the highest privacy and care. What is Tramadol and how does it work? It is a medicine used for moderate to moderately severe pain. It is approved by the FDA. It comes in pill form. It is usually ordered to be taken as needed but at the most every 4 to 6 hours. It does carry a similar effect as morphine so it does have a high rate of abuse, 1000 tramadol. If you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse you should not take this medication, tramadol old age related. If you are taking Tramadol you could have some side effects such as: migraines, sleepiness, nausea or vomiting, constipation or even dizziness, tramadol order by 3 cst. These are not considered serious side effects and in most cases can be taken care of by the patient himself/herself, tramadol old age related. Serious side effects while taking this medicine are considered very rare, generic versions of tramadol. Most people that take this medicine tolerate it very well and have no problems while taking it. In a few states in the United States this drug is still considered a controlled substance. In most of the states it is not a controlled substance.
Tramadol affects your nerve endings in your brain and spinal cord which helps releive pain much like morphine does. The effect it has on you is much like a antidepressant drug. What should I tell my doctor? Before taking tramadol you need to make sure you notify your doctor if you have any of the following health issues which include seizures, liver disease, kidney disease, any head injuries, sever abdominal pain, any sort of lung diseases, any history of drug or alcohol abuse and if you have any sort of food, , food coloring or perservatives.
Make sure you notify your family doctor before you begin taking tramadol if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant or breastfeeding your baby. It is important to notify your doctor of everything you are taking including prescriptions, over the counter medications and all vitamins or herbal supplements. Dosage? Here are a few factors that will figure in to finding out your proper dosage for your personal situation, tramadol old age related. Some things you will need to consider is how you react to tramadol when you take it, how other medications you are taking including vitamins and over the counter medicines will mix with tramadol, tramadol old age related, how old you are and any other health issues you may have. You should never try to figure out your own dosage of any medication without your doctor instructing you on how much to take. Possibility of drug interactions? Here is a list of some medications that tramadol can interact with and you should not take while taking this medication, tramadol old age related. Alchohol, Cyclobenzaprine, tramadol old age related, Carbamazepine, Dextromethorphan (which is used in cough suppressants), tramadol old age related, Digoxin, Linezolid, Promethazine, Quinidine, Sibutramine, St. John's wort, Triptans, Tryptophan and Warfarin. You also should not use tramadol while taking medications that can cause drowsiness like antipsychotic medications, anxiety medications, , most antidepressants, narcotic pain relievers, , sleep aids, some antihistamines. Overdose? If you feel you have overdosed on Tramadol seek emergency medical attention right away. It is extremely dangerous to take too much tramadol. Missed dosage? Since Tramadol is mostly used on a as needed basis for pain a missed dosage is not a problem. Simply take that dosage when you start to begin feeling pain again. You should not take your dosage more frequent than four to six hours. Is Tramadol Addictive? Since tramadol is similar to morphine it does have a high potential to be abused. This medication is known for causing someone to have a strong physical dependance along with psychological dependance. This is why you need a prescription to get this medication just about everywhere you live. So many people abuse tramadol that many try to get it illegaly by buying from other countries or through online pharmacies that do not ask for prescriptions. Taking Tramadol Tramadol comes in pill form. Most people are told to use as needed. Do not take any more than every four to six hours.
Most people are told to start on low dosage and work up slowly to a higher dosage if needed.
You can take this medication with our without food.
Do not drink alcohol while on this medication
Always follow your doctors instructions on how to take this medication
Never stop taking this suddenly by yourself. This can cause you to go into withdrawls. Talk to you doctor about stopping and they will help ween you off properly to reduce withdrawl symptoms. Is there a generic? Tramadol does come in a generic form called Ultram. Storing Tramdol? You should store these at room tempature away from heat and any moisture. Keep away from children and your pets, tramadol old age related. Since this medication is prone to abuse keep stored away from where others in the household or visitors can see or find it.
|
