[targonrotts]

glad to hear she's home!
regarding pain meds...i've been working at a vets office for about 14 years now.it used to be the way we thought that if pets were not on any pain meds, they won't move around and cause more damage to themselves...now, we are going for our AAHA creditation, and more and more the thoughts of today's vets is treat the pain.there is no need for pet to be in pain for the sake of not moving around.in fact, you can witness a puppy after an ear crop not on pain meds, thrashing its head to try to avoid the pain.
as for pain meds for only a few days, not a worry.long term users should do a chemscreen to make sure healthy and then monitor.
the dosage of rimadyl you received is for a 75-90lbs dog after soft tissue surgery.
not bad.
more and more of the new vets are into pain management of their patients.
i personally use rimadyl on my old dogs when needed and in the injured young ones when needed.never had a problem...the one that never took pain meds ended up with a stomach ulcer-go figure!
yes, there are natural remedies, etc. just make sure they are safe to use on dogs.
as per vets comment of what a shame not to breed her-that remark i hear from vets that are happy to see a well mannered/tempered dog.many are used to seeing our breed in not such a good light, that a well behaved and healthy one is always welcomed...plus we get tired of seeing so many guard dogs or ill mannered pets reproducing...and then those pups return as new clients!so they kind of feel is a loss when a nice one is spayed...hey, that was a compliment!
she will be back to herself in no time.yes, those restraining device tend to make them feel down...just keep it on when you can't watch her.
yes, a vet should be someone you are 100% comfortable with, where you can share your worries and be open and honest with each other...same for the staff.
good luck!