My girls had a C section on Bank Holiday Monday as an emergency procedure (I will do a report on this when things get quieter as on my own at the mo) The vet said she couldnt prescribe painkillers as they would affect the pups. I took my girl for a check up at my own vet this morning. She asked if she was on anti biotics and painkillers but I said no to the latter. I also told her that last night she was obviously in a lot of pain as she was "digging" harder than I have ever seen her. She said she would prescribe some and always did after c sections. Then she said that I would have to sign a disclaimer as the painkillers were not licensed!!! She said there was evidence that this painkiller did not get into the milk so it was not a problem. She then said we ask you to sign as we (the practice) had a litter of Bulldogs by C section and they all died afterwards and the clients blamed the painkillers. They are Carprieve 20mg.((1 tablet twice a day) Normally I would research myself in this sort of situation but I just havent got the time. I am hoping you might have some knowledge about these tablets? Two of my pups are much smaller than normal for my girls (132g at birth) and although they are now up to 155, I am not sure what to do. Please forgive hurried post and forgive if I dont reply quickly.

Here is the datasheet.

http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/ProductInformationDatabase/
This link is Defra, if you go to 'C' page 2 and then click on 'view SPC' which opens in a separate window it has this ...

4.7  Use during pregnancy, lactation or lay:
 
  Studies in laboratory species (rat and rabbit) have shown evidence of foetotoxic effects of carprofen at doses close to the therapeutic dose.  The safety of the veterinary medicinal product has not been established during pregnancy and lactation.  Do not use in pregnant or lactating bitches.  For breeding animals, do not use during reproduction period.
so I guess no

Omg, not taking the risk. She did say (she was a farm vet originally) that they had tested these pills on cows and found that it does not transfer to the milk and as all mammals are the same, then they are ok for dogs. I only had a quick read through but I'm afraid that I  cant give her these pills. I just hope her pain eases off. She has only "dug" once today. Rock and a hard place really. Want to help her but in other people's hands. My vet is wonderful but I am quite shocked that she has prescribed these.
Thank-you  so much, really appreciated. Back to mum and pups now.x

2 of my girls have had a C-section and came home with rimadyl straight after she was awake from the op, she stayed on rimadyl for 4 days and it had absolutely no effect their puppies. litters of 9 and 13 all absolutely fine. poor girl I couldn't imagine having a section and no pain relief :( Hope she is doing well now bless her x

Thank-you Mandy. Will have a look at those!

I dont know what to do. Head spinning with 24 hour two hourly feeds but need to help my girl. How can I tell my vet am not easy using the ones she has prescribed? The emergency vet said to ring if any problems but I suppose the case is now in my own vet's hands.

Is your girl not feeding the pups ? Apologies if I am missing something from your posts.

Sorry this is bitty but just remembered something the emergency vets said (apart from the phone call when she said my girl was fine and so were her pups) everything else has faded. She said she couldnt give her pain killers as they would affect the pups but that the pain after a c section was not as bad as pain after a normal birth.

Yes, she is and doing a really good job. Just topping up. My mentor told me that I was in danger of losing the two smaller pups if I didnt constantly latch them on and top them up with Welpi so that is why I am doing extra feeds. They are gaining well.

My girl had metacam after a c section and she and the pups were fine. She did come round early from the GA and was stressed but she was fine.

Iv had a girl have metacam too she had pups normal but retained 8 out of 9 placentas she had an em spay next day she still feed pups with me toping up.

thank-you all. Much appreciated.

Our girls are much braver than we could ever be. Much appreciated. thank-you.

I have a toy breed known for their birthing difficulties.  Until I bred my self whelping line I genuinely lost count of how many sections I have had.  I have never been prescribed painkillers - with a breed that can be quite wimpy.  My experience has been that however much pain a bitch is in, she will stoically ignore her own discomfort while she gives her all to her whelps.

However, I once had an extremely sensitive bitch who was absolutely demented with pain (she had shown little to no interest in her pups.)  I went to the vet hospital determined that I would get her help.  The vet I saw said that she couldn't have anything, as her pups would be affected.  I insisted that I be given the pain relief.  He did stress over and over and over that she couldn't feed her pups.  He obviously didn't know me well enough to know if I knew what I was doing.

Well, no pup can ever be as important as my bitches, so I crated my bitch and covered her crate.  Doped up to the eyeballs she eventually destressed bless her.  I tried to hand rear, and had the pups PTS eventually as they just did not thrive and looked worse than runts.  They would have died eventually anyway as they were losing weight every day.  When you start with 2oz pups it isn't easy.

But that was just my experience.  As your bitch is feeding her pups remember that she will be in pain anyway.  Pups suckling will encourage the uterus to contract.  I don't think your bitch would be feeding if she couldn't stand the pain at all.

Metacam on the two C sections I have had in the past 20 years.

And Metacam here for my recent C.section.

My girl was given Rimadyl and everything was fine. However, someone who used my boy, her Vet did not prescribe any painkillers and her bitch was so agitated that she would lick one pup so much the poor thing had no chance of latching on. Unfortunately this lady was such a novice that she lost the pup, but the bitch then started to do the same thing to another pup. I told her to demand painkillers and straight away the bitch settled to feeding all her pups.