Pain Management in Rabbits

Pocket Pet · Oryctolagus cuniculus · typical adult weight 1.00–5.00 kg

5 cited drugs treat Pain Management in rabbits: Buprenorphine, Butorphanol, Butorphanol Injectable, Meloxicam, Tramadol.

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 rabbits — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.

Buprenorphine(Simbadol, Buprenex)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	0.01–0.05 mg/kg	q6-12h	24-72 hours post-operatively	Post-operative analgesia	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
IV	0.01–0.05 mg/kg	q6-12h	As needed	Acute pain management	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
SC	0.01–0.05 mg/kg	q6-12h	As needed	Pain management, post-operative	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Buprenorphine dosing in Rabbits →Calculate for this rabbit →

Butorphanol(Torbugesic, Torbutrol)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	0.1–0.5 mg/kg	q4h	As needed	Pain management, pre-anesthetic	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
SC	0.1–0.5 mg/kg	q4h	As needed	Pain management	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Butorphanol dosing in Rabbits →Calculate for this rabbit →

Butorphanol Injectable(Torbugesic, Torbutrol Injectable)

Neurological

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
SC	0.1–1 mg/kg	q4-6h	As needed	Analgesia	Strong	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Butorphanol Injectable dosing in Rabbits →Calculate for this rabbit →

Meloxicam(Metacam)

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	0.3–0.6 mg/kg	q24h	3-7 days	Pain, post-operative analgesia, dental pain	Strong	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
PO	0.3–1 mg/kg	q24h	As needed	Dental pain and GI stasis secondary to pain	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed
SC	0.3–0.6 mg/kg	q24h	1-3 days then switch to oral	Post-operative analgesia	Moderate	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Meloxicam dosing in Rabbits →Calculate for this rabbit →

Tramadol

Analgesic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	5–15 mg/kg	q8-12h	As needed	Chronic pain management	Extrapolated	Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Full Tramadol dosing in Rabbits →Calculate for this rabbit →

All drugs cited for Pain Management →All drugs for Rabbits →

Other conditions in Rabbits

Coccidiosis GI Stasis (Ileus)Sedation General Anesthesia Bacterial Infections Respiratory Infections GI Ulceration Dermatophytosis (Ringworm)

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.