Codeine for post-dental pain management?

[GraciesParent]

Hello! Gracie (age 8) had her first dental cleaning today, and required one extraction. Otherwise, per the vet, her teeth are in good shape! :-)

The vet sent her home with transdermal codeine (5mg/dose), which she's to get twice a day for the next five days. Is this a typical pain med given for dental work in cats? I ask only because it's an opioid and seems like a pretty strong option, especially for an extended period.

I *have* emailed my vet to ask about it (I didn't actually get a chance to chat with her when I picked Gracie up), but while I wait to hear to back I thought I'd float it here, as well, to see what other people's experiences have been.

Thanks in advance for any insight! :-)

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi -
This might be helpful; edited to delete the wedgewood pharmacy codeine for pets link which abruptly stopped working.

Codeine | VCA Animal Hospital

 

[GraciesParent]

Thanks Furballsmom — unfortunately, I get a permission-denied error (!) when I click that link.

I did Google it, so I did some reading, and have also heard back from the vet in the interim. She said the dose is low, and that codeine is not as taxing on the kidneys as NSAIDs. Unless it knocks Gracie out, she said to keep administering it twice daily.

I’d just never heard of it for cats before.

 

[Furballsmom]

that's weird, it was wedgewood pharmacies info about codeine and pets. Let me see if I can find a better link, for other readers. Thank you for letting me know .