Is my cat's lethargy and not eating due to buprenorphine pain meds?

I am not sure how you are able to tell that he hasn't slept for 24 hrs unless you are also up yourself the entire time. Chances are he has slept somewhat, but these are still concerning symptoms that he may be having an adverse reaction to the medicaiton or that a lower dose is needed for him. Also it is concerning if he hasn't gone potty. Male neutered cats can get urinary blockages which causes them to be very vocal, lethargic and strain to urinate. I would advise taking him to your local vet right away for an evaluation and potentially stopping his medication until he is deemed healthy enough to proceed with either this medicaiton or an alternative. I hope that Cucho is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for the question. It sounds like Gregory has finished 2 days of the medication that was prescribed by your veterinarian. I would recommend finishing the prescribed medication, and then going back in for a recheck if he isn't improving. At any time if Gregory is getting worse, then don't wait to finish the medication. Often, without more testing (lab tests and x-rays) we don't know exactly what we are treating for. If Gregory is not improving, your veterinarian may recommend more testing to try and find a cause for his symptoms. I'm glad he is doing a little better so far, and I hope his appetite improves.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would agree with the veterinarian that the blood work does not look concerning at this time. If his appetite has decreased with antibiotics, I would recommend discontinuing the antibiotics and seeing how his appetite improves. If he continues to be inappetant or is lethargic, I would have the veterinarian recheck him to ensure everything is ok. If he continues to be itchy, I would recommend using a topical shampoo such as Douxo PS shampoo which can be found online quite easily and bathe twice weekly until resolved. I would also recommend using Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent, which can also be found online. If he continues to be itchy, it may be time to consider switching to a different food or even consider seeing a veterinary dermatologist. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

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/

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.

Buprenorphine has few side effects in cats with the most common one being sedation. It may be Sofia is feeling a bit nauseous from vomiting, which can happen. If you are very concerned about her, you can take her into the vet. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Squeak hasn't been feeling well after a tooth extraction. With older cats, it sometimes can take a couple of days for them to recover from anesthesia, depending on the medications that were used. Did Squeak have any bloodwork run before his procedure? If he had an underlying kidney or liver issue, it could explain some of the signs that you are seeing now. If he is still on pain medications for his tooth extraction, it could also be that he is weak if the medication is affecting him strongly. If he hasn't had bloodwork done, I would recommend checking his liver and kidney function, as well as screening for diabetes, all of which could be adversely affecting him. Additionally, there are appetite stimulants for cats that can be given post-surgery to help kickstart them into eating normally again. I would recommend Squeak be re-evaluated by his veterinarian and have any testing done that may be necessary to start treatment to get him back on track. Good luck!