Pain Management in African Grey Parrots

Bird · Psittacus erithacus · typical adult weight 0.40–0.65 kg

8 cited drugs treat Pain Management in african grey parrots: Buprenorphine, Butorphanol, Butorphanol Injectable, Meloxicam, Meloxicam Compounded Exotic, Tramadol, Tramadol Compounded Liquid, Tramadol Exotic.

Multimodal analgesia spanning NSAIDs, opioids, local anaesthetics, NMDA antagonists (ketamine), α2 agonists, and adjuncts. Species safety matters: NSAIDs are unsafe in some reptiles, opioid receptor distributions differ in birds, and rabbits tolerate buprenorphine particularly well.

The overview above describes Pain Management across species; the citations below are the ExoticRx dose rules scoped to african grey parrots — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.

Buprenorphine(Simbadol, Buprenex)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	0.1 mg/kg	q8-12h	As needed	Pain management	Extrapolated	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
SC	0.05–0.1 mg/kg	q8-12h	24-48 hours post-operatively	Post-surgical analgesia	Extrapolated	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Buprenorphine dosing in African Grey Parrots →Calculate for this african grey parrot →

Butorphanol(Torbugesic, Torbutrol)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	1–4 mg/kg	q2-4h	As needed	Pain management, sedation	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Butorphanol dosing in African Grey Parrots →Calculate for this african grey parrot →

Butorphanol Injectable(Torbugesic, Torbutrol Injectable)

Neurological

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	1–4 mg/kg	q2-4h	As needed	Analgesia	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Butorphanol Injectable dosing in African Grey Parrots →Calculate for this african grey parrot →

Meloxicam(Metacam)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC	0.5–1 mg/kg	q12-24h	1-3 days	Post-surgical analgesia	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Meloxicam dosing in African Grey Parrots →Calculate for this african grey parrot →

Meloxicam Compounded Exotic(Meloxicam Exotic Oral Suspension)

Miscellaneous

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	0.5–1 mg/kg	q12-24h	Short-term (3-7 days); assess need for continued therapy	Musculoskeletal pain/Post-surgical analgesia	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed; AAV Analgesia Guidelines

Full Meloxicam Compounded Exotic dosing in African Grey Parrots →Calculate for this african grey parrot →

Tramadol

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	5–30 mg/kg	q8-12h	As needed	Pain management	Extrapolated	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Tramadol dosing in African Grey Parrots →Calculate for this african grey parrot →

Tramadol Compounded Liquid(Tramadol Oral Solution Vet)

Miscellaneous

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	5–30 mg/kg	q8-12h	Short-term (3-7 days); limited avian pharmacokinetic data	Analgesia (musculoskeletal/post-surgical)	Weak	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed; AAV Analgesia Review

Full Tramadol Compounded Liquid dosing in African Grey Parrots →Calculate for this african grey parrot →

Tramadol Exotic(Tramadol)

Neurological

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	5–30 mg/kg	q6-12h	3-7 days	Analgesia	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Tramadol Exotic dosing in African Grey Parrots →Calculate for this african grey parrot →

All drugs cited for Pain Management →All drugs for African Grey Parrots →

Other conditions in African Grey Parrots

Bacterial Infections Sedation General Anesthesia Coccidiosis Endoparasites Seizures and Epilepsy Hypocalcaemia GI Ulceration

Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice. Verify against current literature before clinical use.