{"id":631296,"date":"2025-02-06T19:38:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T00:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=631296"},"modified":"2025-02-06T19:38:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T00:38:15","slug":"oxycodone-for-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/oxycodone-for-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"Can dogs take oxycodone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oxycodone is a common <\/span>opioid<\/span><\/a> pain reliever<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the active ingredient in the brand-name drug <\/span>Oxycontin<\/span><\/a>, a long-acting version of oxycodone. Veterinarians avoid giving oxycodone to dogs or other animals because it\u2019s poorly absorbed and lasts only a short time in the dog\u2019s body. Because of potential hazards, caregivers should never give their dogs oxycodone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Save up to 80% on oxycodone<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

What is oxycodone used for in dogs?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Oxycodone is an opioid agonist, a powerful family of analgesics used for chronic pain, cancer pain, and medical procedures in people and animals. All opioids work by attaching to opioid receptors on the nerves that pass pain signals to the brain and slow them down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Opioids do more than slow down pain signals. They also slow down nerve signals that regulate important bodily functions like breathing. If a dog gets too much of an opioid, the breathing slows down so much that the dog starts perishing from lack of oxygen, a condition called respiratory depression. If the dog gets far too much oxycodone, the dog stops breathing completely, a condition called respiratory arrest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Opioids are dangerous and potentially fatal. For this reason, veterinarians don\u2019t use some of the opioids that are commonly given to people, including oxycodone, because they\u2019re too unpredictable. It\u2019s too difficult to get the dose right. When a dog is given an oxycodone pill, the dog\u2019s digestive system does not absorb much of the drug. What is absorbed doesn\u2019t last very long in the dog\u2019s body. The drug will work, but its unpredictability increases the risk of respiratory depression or respiratory arrest.<\/span><\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean dogs can\u2019t be given opioids. Many opioids are more predictable in their effects on an animal and can be more reliably dosed. The most commonly used opioid in veterinary medicine is <\/span>tramadol<\/span><\/a>, which veterinary professionals use to treat osteoarthritis pain. Veterinarians use opioids such as <\/span>morphine<\/span><\/a> injections, <\/span>fentanyl<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>codeine<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>buprenorphine<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>oxymorphone<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>butorphanol<\/span><\/a> (for mild pain relief), <\/span>hydromorphone<\/span><\/a> (for surgical procedures), or <\/span>hydrocodone<\/span><\/a> (for cough),\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is oxycodone safe for dogs?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Veterinarians do not consider oxycodone to be a safe opioid for dogs or other animals because it\u2019s unpredictable and short-acting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Oxycodone and all opioid analgesics are hazardous medications, so caregivers should never give oxycodone to a dog for any reason.<\/span><\/p>\n

Side effects of oxycodone in dogs<\/span><\/h3>\n

Because veterinarians do not use oxycodone in dogs, its side effects are understood only when dogs have accidentally ingested the drug or owners have given the drug to their pets. All opioids cause the same side effects in dogs, though some opioids are more powerful than others and more likely to cause adverse effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most common side effects of opioids in dogs are:<\/span><\/p>\n