My old dog has a hernia. Can I give him pain meds or can he have surgery?

It is ok for Lily to remain on those antacids long term. I suspect there are reasons your vet considers the surgery to be risky (brachycephalic breed, senior age, complicated nature of the surgery, possible bloodwork issues). It is great that they have stopped the vomiting. Putting her on an intestinal diet that is easy of the GI tract such as Hills i/d dry and canned or Royal Canin GI dry and canned may help as well. Good luck!

I have to say i disagree with your vet. both hernias should have been operated on when he was younger. he isn't young but isn't very old either, my advise would be to do the surgery to repair the inguinal hernia.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dino. I am guessing you are referring to a perineal hernia based on your description. You can attempt to manage him with a high fiber diet with extra moisture such as adding canned food or water to the dry food. He will likely need a prescription stool softener as well. In my experience, this will help, but I still find the dog will need surgery. When the dog requires repeated enemas or manual evacuation of the feces by the veterinarian, you will know medical management is not working. I have also seen a rectal prolapse from the dog straining to defecate. Neutering will helps as well with hernia repair. I hope this information helps!

Perineal surgery is extremely difficult due to the abnormal/stretched anatomy and narrow safety margins to avoid major nerves and blood vessels. As the muscles and nerves have been stretched and displaced, normal outline and normal healing is unpredictable and outcomes are not certain. Infection of the surgical site is a significant risk also and many patients which develop hernias also have additional complicating factors with regards to anesthetic safety also. Recovery is slow, painful and often incomplete and such a surgery should never be undertaken lightly. I am sure your vet would have considered all possible risks and outcomes in assessing his case

Hernias typically don't pop up overnight unless there has been some sort of trauma. Without a physical exam, it is difficult to say if the symptoms are related. It is never recommended to medicate a pet without the advice of your veterinarian. Panadol (paracetamol) can be toxic to dogs. It can cause liver and kidney damage. A thorough exam and blood work by your veterinarian is recommended. This may diagnose the cause of Bara's symptoms as well as assess liver and kidney function.

You cannot give your dog human pain killers, the pain killers should be prescribed by your vet as these are dog specific pain killers. if the leg is broken it must at the very least be put in a splint, it will immobilize the leg, it will give it a chance to heal and will reduce the pain significantly.

Some pain medications can cause stomach upset. If Olive continues to vomit, I would recommend stopping the pain medication and contacting your veterinarian. Other potential causes for vomiting include eating something irritating to the intestinal tract, infections or metabolic problems such as kidney or liver disease.