Buprenorphine

What is this medication for?

• Mild–moderate pain (post-op, general analgesia)
• Buccal/transmucosal analgesia — well accepted, effective route

How is it given?

Give exactly as your veterinarian prescribed — never change the dose or stop on your own unless your veterinarian has told you to.

• Formulation strengths vary widely (0.3 mg/mL standard vs. 1.8 mg/mL Simbadol) — always double-check concentration to avoid 6x dosing errors.

What if I miss a dose?

• Give it as soon as you remember — unless it is almost time for the next dose (then skip the missed one; never double up).
• Call your clinic if you miss more than one dose in a row.

Side effects — what should I watch for?

Effects listed as common in this handout

• Sedation (Common)
• Excitement, ↓ gut sounds (Common)

Worth a phone call to your veterinarian

• stomach/intestinal effects (vomiting) (Rare)

⚠️ Contact your veterinarian or an emergency clinic IMMEDIATELY if you notice

• Respiratory depression (Rare but the key effect to monitor)

Before starting (or refilling), tell your veterinarian if your pet:

• has or has had: Known hypersensitivity
• has or has had: Hypothyroidism, severe renal/adrenal insufficiency, geriatric/debilitated, head trauma/↑ICP, hepatic dysfunction, biliary tract disease

• is pregnant, nursing, or used for breeding
• is taking any other medications, supplements, or flea/tick products, including:
  • Azole antifungals (keto/itra/fluconazole)
  • Erythromycin
  • MAO inhibitors (amitraz, selegiline)
  • Fentanyl/other pure mu-agonists
  • Naloxone

Storage and handling

Room temperature (15–30°C), protect from light, avoid >40°C or freezing. Autoclaving reduces potency. Incompatible with diazepam and lorazepam in same syringe/line.

Good to know

• Naloxone only partially reverses buprenorphine — high-affinity mu binding means higher-than-usual naloxone doses may be needed for overdose.
• Formulation strengths vary widely (0.3 mg/mL standard vs. 1.8 mg/mL Simbadol) — always double-check concentration to avoid 6x dosing errors.
• In dogs, transmucosal (gingival) absorption is much less complete (~47–50%) than in cats — higher per-kg doses needed for that route in dogs.