My cat is acting strange on buprenorphine pain meds. What should I do?

Have you been giving him the buprenorphine? This could be making him very lethargic. If he doesnt seem really painful, you may consider stopping the pain meds or giving him a half dose to see if they helps to perk him up a bit. But if he is continuing to be lethargic despite not being on pain medication then I believe he needs to follow up with your vet to ensure nothing else is wrong. I hope he starts to feel better!

I would follow the recommendations that your vet gave you for the buprenorphine. Overdosage can cause worsening of the disoriented feeling, including extreme lethargy and inability to move. There have not been any published studies on the use of CBD in pets, yet. Anecdotally, some owners that have used it have felt that it helps with pain. There are no safe dosages known, though, so at this time I cannot safely recommend its use. If you feel like Cucho is still in a lot of pain, then I recommend he be seen by an emergency vet. Based on records you might have and the medications that were prescribed, the vet can prescribe additional pain medications to help with his comfort.

Hi Laila! I would give the Buprenorphine as directed by your vet. Your vet is the only who can determine which are the best and safest pain medications for Kitty. Given that she peed and pooped last night, I wouldn't be too worried about her just yet not going. Keep an eye on her, if if she hasn't peed in 24 hours, she continues to go to the litter box and nothing comes out, she strains to urinate, or she cries when she urinates, then I would be concerned and have her seen by the vet. I hope this helps :-)

I am sorry we couldn't get to your question earlier. Hopefully Sitara is back to normal now. The symptoms you have described are consistent with opioid use (which is what Buprenorphine is). I would not be overly concerned. I am more concerned about her dental disease and the plan to treat that, since the pain medications and antibiotics won't fix that particular problem. She needs a full dental cleaning under anesthesia and may need her teeth extracted if stomatitis is a concern. https://www.petcoach.co/article/gingivitis-and-stomatitis-in-cats/

This represents a pretty substantial overdose. Corbett got about 2.5 times more than the highest published dose for pain relief. However, it's thought that buprenorphine has a high index of safety, and even large overdoses don't usually cause serious effects. I'm assuming you gave it on the gums ("transmucousally") as that's how it's typically prescribed for pain relief at home in cats. Because of that method of administration, there's no way to remove the drug from his system by inducing vomiting. There is a reversal agent that is somewhat effective, but may have to be given in multiple doses due to the way buprenorphine works. The drug is naloxone, and your veterinarian should have this drug. Because the signs of overdose can be concerning (vocalization, ataxia, hypersalivation, decreased body temperature, and lethargy) my best recommendation would be for you to take Corbett back to your veterinarian for administration of this drug, so that the overdosage can be averted.

With pain relief medication the goal is to use as needed. So if you believe Roman is in pain or uncomfortable it is good to give him the medication, but you do not have to finish a course like with antibiotics. I would continue the buprenex as long as you feel that Roman is still in pain, and also the packaging label from the veterinarian who prescribed the pills should indicate how many days he believes Roman should take the pills. Bladder inflammation can take days to weeks to calm down so h may need the pills for longer. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

With your cat's weight being 11 pounds, there is a dose range for Buprenorphine that fits into the amount you gave. He may be a little sleepier and I would not continue the double dose unless your vet recommends it. Keep an eye on him in case he is too sleepy, but he should be ok. Signs of a problem would be too sleepy, a slower breathing rate.