My dog is having a morphine reaction. How long do symptoms last?

This could be a side effect of the morphine administered for sedation. Keep her in a quiet, warm, dimly lit room. Restrict activity as much as possible, especially avoiding stairs or climbing onto furniture. Effects can last 4 to 6 hours, not all dogs metabolize the drug at the same rate so this period could be longer or shorter. If she is the same or worse after the 4-6 hour period has passed, consider having her rechecked by your vet. Contact your veterinarian anyway and discuss options for pain management once the morphine wears off.

I’m sorry to hear Mutley is under the weather. It is very common for dogs to be somewhat agitated , often whining or panting a lot, as a side effect of morphine. These side effects can last up to 6 hours after the injection. Keeping him in a quiet, calm, low light environment may help. It’s hard to know why his back legs seem weaker without knowing why the pain medications were initially given. If they were given for back pain for example, and the back legs are getting progressively weaker I would be worried about something even like an intervertebral disc issue. But if the medications were given for another source of pain, some weakness can be due to the sedative effects of the morphine. The other medication given is an anti inflammatory medication and should not cause any of these signs. If it has been several hours since the injections and he is just starting to become agitated , It is also possible that Mutley is becoming painful again. Use oral pain medications as prescribed if any were sent home and call his veterinarian to check in if the agitation is worsening. I hope Mutley is feeling better very soon.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am very sorry to hear about Nina. The dose of morphine ranges from 0.05mg/lb for mild pain to over 0.3mg/lb for severe pain. A high dose of morphine for Nina would be around 15-20mg . At this dose morphine in dogs rarely causes respiratory problems or drop in blood pressure as it happens in human patients.

Poor guy. Morphine wouldn't cause lack of appetite nor would it cause worsening of his debilitation. It is likely it isn't enough therapy to overcome the advanced stages of his osteoarthritis. Especially since morphine is strictly a pain management medication and doesn't help with inflammation, joint fluid, or cartilage repair. He likely would benefit from more advanced therapy such as Adequan (GAG) injections, joint supplements (Dasuquin) or even physical therapy sessions can help provide him more mobility. His lack of appetite is quite worrisome however and I would highly recommend getting his kidney values rechecked to make sure he doesn't need further treatment to stabilize him first. Because the inability to move could also be caused by generalized weakness due to his underlying kidney condition.

I have never heard of a dog being stoned on Tramadol. Tramadol usually is metabolised within 12 to 16 hours, so if this is really a case of being "stoned" then he should be out of it within 16 hours of ingesting the tablets. Sometimes Tramdol causes seizures in susceptible dogs. She could have also had an incidence of severe pain which made her breathe rapidly and shallow. I would wait it out. Should your dog have another episode of rapid and shallow breathing, especially after the tramadol wears off, then it is likely pain that is causing this. Being a brachycephalic breed this could also be an episode of respiratory problems due to the large soft palate and narrow nares which can certainly interfere with proper breathing.

Yes, that is a fairly frequent side effect after buprenorphine injection. The effect of buprenorphine lasts between 6 and 8 hours, so the hypersalivation should gradually wear off. I hope Mifi is pain free and back to her usual self. Please get in touch if you have any further questions.

Hello, and thanks for your question. Without examining Trixie I can’t say for sure if there might be another problem causing her unsteadiness, but buprenorphine can definitely cause sedation and unsteadiness. If it’s from the buprenorphine, the symptoms should resolve within about 6 hours. Hope this helps!