Bup every 12 hours ?????? Ridiculous. Period.And...contrary to all the literature.
Six hours is my maximum span...and, again, administered 15-20m prior.
If you're going to 'up' the dosing, make sure to order a refill well ahead.
Today, pain is managed differently from how Spencer's is.....a combination of 2-3 drugs are used, each targeting different pain pathways. This is called "multi-modal" pain control/prevention. It's much more effective and less sedative (though, with his surgery, sedation is a good thing).
With this type of surgery, two other types of drugs are often added to the opiod drug (Buprenorphine). One is an NSAID, often meloxicam ("Metacam"), which is given at the lowest effective dosing. The other is Gabapentin which, in the simplest terms, 'targets nerve endings' (though not an actual pain med, it's effective against pain in that way).
You could consider speaking to your Vet and asking him to consider a cocktail of pain control. At the very least, adding in a
very low-dose NSAID would be really helpful. (if you're in the US, you have to be extremely careful...there's no feline Metacam available, only canine which is 3x the feline strength)
On positioning for medicating: You might lay him on his good (left ?) side on a bed or on a countertop with towel/blankt under and bend over closely on him, so that he's effectively 'trapped'.
Treats: Orijen makes freeze-dried cat treats...there are 2 w/out chicken. They are expensive, though, and I would want an exchange/refund/credit arrangement in case they are rejected. Here they are
- http://www.orijen.ca/products/cat-fo.../regional-red/ . Boneless wild boar, boneless beef, boneless lamb, wild boar liver, lamb liver, beef liver.
- http://www.orijen.ca/products/cat-fo...treats/tundra/ . Boneless venison, elk liver, boneless elk, venison liver, boneless quail, steelhead trout.
Bonito flakes? Does he like cheese? How about a teaspoonful of a really stinky Fancy Feast variety?