Buprenorphine Use In Cats After Surgery

[ty3535]

Hi
My cat had surgery to remove an intestinal blockage(s). He was given a few days worth of Buprenorphine. It’s a gel pain medication that goes on his gums. The medicine ran out yesterday morning (he was given it according to directions, every 8 hours).

Today he is noticeably different. He has eaten but has otherwise slept all day. His incision looks fine and he’s not vocalizing distress but I can’t help but wonder if he’s in a lot of pain. The surgery was pretty major.

I’d like to know if anyone has information regarding the use of Buprenorphine over a few weeks time. I plan on calling the vet tomorrow and requesting more but I was hoping someone here would have personal experience with the medication and if there are any side effects if used for a few weeks. Thank you!

 

[neely]

It's my understanding that long term side effects of Buprenex in cats has not been determined and for that reason vets are cautious when prescribing it. I'm glad to hear your cat's incision looks fine and I hope he recuperates soon. I did a search and found this thread about it: Questions about Buprenorphine (Buprenex)

 

[ty3535]

This is amazing!! Thank you SO much. I didn’t even consider the constipation aspect so that is definitely something I will bring up tomorrow. It seems like they’re aren’t many side effects so the only thing I have a question about is the addiction aspect which was really my main concern. Thank you again!

 

[epona]

This is amazing!! Thank you SO much. I didn’t even consider the constipation aspect so that is definitely something I will bring up tomorrow. It seems like they’re aren’t many side effects so the only thing I have a question about is the addiction aspect which was really my main concern. Thank you again!

My husband works as a substance misuse nurse. Although cats can potentially get physically addicted to opiates, they wouldn't develop a psychological dependence. They can't go out and score drugs. For longterm use, you'd do a taper off under veterinary instruction to minimise impact of physical withdrawals. A few days worth of opiates for pain relief after surgery is NOT going to result in physical dependence. Even in humans, opiate pain relief is regularly used in hospitals for short term pain relief, the people receiving it do not go out and look for a drug dealer afterwards, they are happy to get back to their normal lives. So please do not worry too much about it.

 

[ty3535]

Oh this is excellent news! Thank you! Depended was the one thing I was worried about and I think I would probably have to keep an eye out for any constipation. I’m definitely going to call and ask for more meds tomorrow. Thank you so much!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Buprenorphine works great for many cats for pain relief post-surgery. It is one med that I've periodically used with two of my own cats over the years. A few days of the buprenorphine won't normally cause very much constipation... but move beyond a week or so of use, and I've seen that occur with my own cats.

You want to taper off the usage when finished. If the med is given for more than 3-4 days, the cat is likely to feel a bit weird if the med is stopped suddenly. Their body gets used to having the med. So spread out the time between doses of the Bup when you wean them from it, from 8 hours, to 12 hours, 14+ hours, then once a day, etc., if possible. Your vet can instruct you on this.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Opiod-based = constipation

Personally, I have had good luck with Buprenex post-surgery for my boy. although I did have to administer it fairly frequently.

 

[ty3535]

I actually called the vet today because he hasn’t pooped since Monday. He is taking Sucralfate 3 times a day and I read that that can cause constipation as well, so now I’m concerned about the effect Buprenex would have compounded with that. The vet didn’t call me back yet but I will definitely ask her for remedies should he not go in the next day (he hates pumpkin) and whether or not the Buprenex would add to the constipation problem. Thank you so much this info has been really helpful!

 

[Timmer]

How many days was your cat on the Buprene? You said he had surgery but didn't say how long ago. Do you think he still needs the pain meds?

 

[ty3535]

Oh sorry, he had 11 vials to be given 8-12 hours each after surgery so about 3 days. The vet called me back and suggested 3 more days of the Buprenex.

 

[crunchie]

It was probably about 4 days or so after surgery that my cat finally pooped. She was peeing fine but it just took a while for #2 to happen. If your cat is eating and peeing then I don't think there is anything to worry about. My cat was also on Buprenorphine for a couple of weeks with no difficulty. 2x/day to start then 1x day to 1x every couple of days.

 

[ty3535]

This eases my mind a little! I’m second guessing everything and now worrying about whether or not he’s eating enough, and if not, maybe that’s why he’s not going. He is absolutely eating much less than usual but I figured that was to be expected. He happily eats when I place food in front of him but he doesn’t seek it out yet. The vet mentioned a medicine today called Cerenia that could help with nausea/upset stomach, but that could also cause constipation. I think this surgery is harder on me than it was on him