Administration:
Dog: intramuscular or intravenous injection.
Cat: intramuscular or intravenous injection.
Horse: intravenous injection.
Species | Route of Administration | Post-Operative Analgeisa | Potentiation of Sedation |
Dog | Intramuscular or intravenous injection | 10 - 20 micrograms per kg (0.3 - 0.6 ml per 10 kg). For further pain relief, repeat if necessary after 3 - 4 hours with 10 microgram per kg or 5 - 6 hours with 20 microgram per kg. | 10 - 20 micrograms per kg (0.3 - 0.6 ml per 10 kg). |
Cat | Intramuscular or intravenous injection | 10 - 20 microgram per kg (0.3 - 0.6 ml per 10 kg). Repeated if necessary, once, after 1 - 2 hours. | |
Horse | Intravenous injection | 10 microgram per kg (3.3 ml per 100 kg), 5 minutes after administration of an iv sedative. The dose may be repeated if necessary, once, after not less than 1 - 2 hours. | 5 micrograms per kg (1.7 ml per 100 kg), 5 minutes after administration of an iv sedative. The dose may be repeated if necessary after 10 minutes. |
In dogs, sedative effects are present by 15 minutes after administration. Analgesic activity may not develop fully until 30 minutes. To ensure that analgesia is present during surgery and immediately on recovery, the product should be administered preoperatively as part of premedication.
When administered for potentiation of sedation or as part of premedication, the dose of other centrally-acting agents, such as acepromazine or medetomidine, should be reduced. The reduction will depend on the degree of sedation required, the individual animal, the type of other agents included in premedication and how anaesthesia is to be induced and maintained. It may also be possible to reduce the amount of inhalational anaesthetic used.
Animals administered opioids possessing sedative and analgesic properties may show variable responses. Therefore, the response of individual animals should be monitored and subsequent doses should be adjusted accordingly. In some cases, repeat doses may fail to provide additional analgesia. In these cases, consideration should be given to using a suitable injectable NSAID.
An appropriately graduated syringe must be used to allow accurate dosing.