Message Number: YG14320 | New FHL Archives Search
From: elnrrgby1@aol.com
Date: 2002-06-29 20:01:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Post-surgical pain relief? Vets?

<<post-op pain control. I know Lance had a butorphanol
injectible
following his recent surgery, and I occasionally give a small
oral dose
to one of my cats for bladder pain. Just a tiny dose - a
quarter
tablet - makes my 20+ lb cat VERY happy. I agree with my vet
- I don't
see how you are going to divide that little tablet down to
ferret
size. (1/40 of a tablet?)>>>

I don't know if it's actually recommended or not, but for oral
pain relief my vet frequently prescribes a mixture of
injectable Torbugesic suspended in Pet Tinic (vitamin/mineral
supplement with iron and lots of B Vits) to be given orally.
The concentration rate we used was 0.5 mg/ml and then the
dosage was anywhere from 0.10 cc to 1 cc every 4-6 hours as
needed for pain. It's definitely not as effective/efficient
as giving injections since it's not absorbed as readily, but
this is what we ended up using in Bhut when he was in the last
stages of his cancer and was in near liver failure. We
started with injections but they were just a little too much
for his system to handle and caused severe hypothermia as well
as major respiratory and heart rate depression and had to be
stopped after only two injections. We didn't have any tablets
in the clinic so we used the above mix. It worked very well
and allowed him to remain pretty comfortable despite the
advanced stage of his disease. But, again, I don't know
whether it's something that is actually recommended by the
majority of vets or not.

Stacia