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My puppy is in pain after neuter surgery. What can I give him?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Pit Bull Terrier | Male | neutered | 3 months and 18 days old | 20 lbs

My 15 week old puppy just got neutered this morning and of course he's in some pain. Is there any medication I can give him to alleviate the pain ?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 8th, 2018

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Achilles! We don't want poor Achilles to be in any pain, but I recommend you do *not* give him anything tonight, and instead touch base with your primary vet first thing tomorrow morning. Most likely, your vet gave Achilles some injectable pain medications as part of his treatment today, and many injectable pain medications will stay in the system for 12-24 hours. If you were to give anything tonight that was not prescribed by your vet, it could end up being something that might not be safe to have in his system along with the drugs he's already received. The most important thing you can do tonight is to keep him calm and quiet, to keep swelling to a minimum. If he will tolerate it you can also ice the incision line with an ice pack wrapped in a towel, for 10 minutes at a time. If he still seems painful tomorrow, your vet should be able to offer guidance on what would be a safe follow-up to what's already been given. I hope this helps and Achilles is back to his normal self soon!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on May 22nd, 2017
Hello. I'm sorry to hear that Tikari is not feeling well after surgery.

Most vets will send home pain medication after surgery. Did he not get any? If not, you should call the vet that did the surgery and ask for some if they are open tonight. If not, call tomorrow and ask them for some.

The only thing you can do tonight is put some ice on the incision to help the swelling. Use a bag of frozen peas and put a thin towel between his skin and peas. Don't place the bag directly on the skin. Do this for 10 minutes. You can do this every 3-4 hours if you want to until the morning. Hopefully he will let you do it.

DO NOT give him any over the counter pain medicine. If he seems terribly in pain and you can't get in touch with your regular vet you may have to contact an emergency 24 hour clinic.

I hope this helps. Best wishes to you.

Dr. Amber
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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When should I give my dog his first pain pill after neutering?

If they told you to give it the next day when you picked him up then they likely meant this morning. Twice a day would be about 12 hours apart. So if you dose at 8 am then 8 pm for the night dose (or 12 hrs apart of your choosing). But, the safest thing to do is to call your vet for clarification as they prescribed the medication. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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I'm glad Pocholo was neutered today and I hope the surgery went well! Unfortunately, there are no safe OTC pain medications for dogs, as many human ones are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. I would give the public veterinary mission a call or make a visit to see if you can get any pain meds for him. He should be kept as quiet as possible, confined to a small room to keep him from running around. Keeping him quiet is important to make sure his wound heals normally. Check the incision twice daily for signs of infection, which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. If you see any of those signs, Pocholo will need to see a vet for antibiotics. Otherwise, keep the area clean and dry, you do not need to put anything on it. I hope this helps :-)

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IT could indeed be due to pain, the pain injection lasts for 24 hours, usually vets do give pain killers to take home for a couple days, if you think he is in too much pain you can request those from your vet. there is nothing you can give it at home as human pain killers are toxic to dogs.

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My dog is hyper after neutering. Are calming chews safe to give?

The calming chews should be fine to give but you may not notice much effect from them. Typically a vet will send home pain medication (and a sedative if needed) after a surgical procedure. If you are worried that Charlie is showing signs of discomfort (panting, whining, restlessness) then you should call your vet and request some additional pain medication. If he seems fine at home just be sure to restrict his activity as best you can for a few days to allow the surgery site to heal. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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How can I ensure my dog's neuter recovery is quick and easy?

Give pain medication as prescribed by your veterinarian. It is important to make sure that you restrict his activity to short leash walks only (for the purpose of going to the bathroom) for the first week after surgery. Excessive activity such as running jumping or playing will increase the likelihood of complications. Lastly, but most importantly, he must wear an E collar (cone of shame) to prevent him from looking at or biting at the incision. Licking or biting the incision could lead to the incision coming apart and a need for further surgery. It could also lead to the incision becoming infected which could even make him systemically ill. He will need to wear the color for about 7 to 10 days. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !

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