Dogs should be discouraged from too much activity and may even need to be confined until a substantial amount of healing has taken place. This is certainly true for patients that have undergone bone surgery. These drugs interfere with some of the biochemical pathways that cause swelling, and in so doing, contribute substantially to pain control. These drugs are useful in controlling mild to moderate pain. But dogs tend to be very sensitive to them and caution in dosing is important in order to avoid stomach ulcers and problems with kidney function.
Corticosteroids are another distinct group of drugs that are very potent anti-inflammatories.
They include such drugs as prednisone, dexamethasone, triamcinolone, and others. These effects are reversible, however, and steroids remain a very important group of anti-inflammatory medications for more chronic situations. They're not generally useful for post-operative pain relief. Local anesthetics act by blocking the nerves that conduct pain sensations to the central nervous system. They're very effective in controlling pain, although their effects are generally short-lived.