My dog is still crying after ear surgery. Are her painkillers enough?

Poor Bayley. She just need a bit of time to settle down, follow your vet instruction reading meds and she will be better soon. I would wait till this afternoon and if she continues to be unsettled, not eating and lethargic I would have her re-checked. A stronger, injectable pain killer might be administered by your vet as well, if necessary. Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

I recommend a phone call to your veterinarian to ask about additional pain medications. Some dogs are more sensitive than others. My own puppy needed a second prescription medication to make him more comfortable. Although most dogs do fine with just carprofen, it might not be enough for Bella. It doesn't mean anything is wrong, or concerning, but we don't want her to be painful.

That won't be effective as dosage will be too low and won't work well twice daily. I would recommend to ask to you local veterinarian for another medication (tramadol could be an option for example). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Unfortunately, there are no safe OTC pain relievers for dogs. Many are toxic for dogs and can be fatal if given. I'm not sure what kind of surgery your dog has, perhaps a spay, but she should likely not still be in pain three days before taking out her staples. It's also concerning that she won't eat, which could also be due to pain. This pain and anorexia could be an indication of a post surgical complication. Her symptoms are serious enough that she needs medical treatment now. There will be a vet on call for emergencies in your area. The information to find that vet is found on the clinic's answering machine or website. You can also see if there is an ER veterinary clinic in your area. Please take her into a vet asap.

I recommend to call your vet and tell them what is happening. It sounds like she is still uncomfortable. She may need a change in medications or additional therapy like acupuncture. Also have her ear checked for infection. Make sure you are strictly restricting her activity. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor Butcher! You are correct that excessive panting can certainly indicate a sign of pain in dogs. Human pain medications, such as Advil or Aleve, are not safe for dogs due to the risk of liver and kidney damage. Aspirin is not recommended for use in dogs since it can lead to blood clotting problems and ulceration of the stomach or intestines. Long story short, the safest and most effective anti-inflammatory pain relievers for dogs are prescription-based from your veterinarian. Additionally, I would be concerned about infection in the laceration on Butcher's ear since the wound originated from a dog fight. Bite wounds or severe scratches generally require a course of antibiotics. At this point, I strongly recommend taking Butcher to your vet or an emergency vet to have this laceration and associated pain addressed. Until you can get to the vet, put an e-collar (cone) on Butcher to prevent him from scratching his ear, as this could make matters worse. Ears are highly vascular, so a bit of manual pressure and ice (limit the ice to 10 minutes at a time) may help to lessen the bleeding until you can get to the vet. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

It sounds like he needs some pain medications. I am not sure if he is already taking pain medications but you should call the vet who did the surgery to see if he/she can prescribe or adjust medications to help control the pain.