What is Bupivacaine used for?

Bupivacaine is indicated for: Local anesthesia, Local/regional anesthesia.

What routes can Bupivacaine be administered by?

Available routes: Local infiltration, Epidural, SC.

Which species have cited Bupivacaine dosing data?

Bupivacaine dosing in the ExoticRx formulary covers 5 species: Cat (Domestic), Dog (Domestic), Guinea Pig, Rabbit (Domestic), Sugar Glider.

Is Bupivacaine a controlled substance?

Bupivacaine is not federally scheduled in the US. Controlled-drug status differs by country — verify your local rules.

How does Bupivacaine work?

Long-acting amide local anesthetic blocking voltage-gated sodium channels. Duration 4-8 hours (standard) or 72 hours (Nocita liposomal).

Bupivacaine

US brand names:Marcaine, Nocita(liposomal)

Calculate dosage

Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.

Bupivacaine is dosed at 1–2 mg/kg Local once per procedure in guinea pigs, per Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.783 (2026-08-01).. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Neurological

Routes

Local infiltrationEpiduralSC

Indications

Local anesthesiaLocal/regional anesthesia

Mechanism of Action

Side effects & warnings

Nocita (liposomal bupivacaine) FDA-approved for post-op pain in dogs/cats. Cardiotoxic if inadvertently given IV. Do not use with epinephrine on digits/tail.

Evidence levels across 5 dose rules

Strong×2Moderate×2Weak×1

Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.

Backed by 5 published sources

· Hawkins MG. Advances in exotic mammal clinical therapeutics. J Exot Pet Med. 2014;23:39-49. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2013.11.006; Scarabelli S. Loco-regional anesthesia in rabbits. Proc Conf Annu Assoc Exot Mam Vet; 2019:444-452. PMID: 37627351; Lennox AM. Anesthesia and analgesia for critical exotic companion mammals. Proc Internat Vet Emer Crit Care Symp; 2015. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.856 (2026-08-01).
· Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.783 (2026-08-01).
· Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Orcutt CJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.708 (2026-08-01).
· Romano M, Portela DA, Breghi G, Otero PE. Stress-related biomarkers in dogs administered regional anaesthesia or fentanyl for analgesia during stifle surgery. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. 2016;43(1):44-54. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.172 (2026-08-01).

Sample dosing (2 of 5 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 5 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.

Species	Route	Dose	Frequency	Evidence	Source
Cat (Domestic)	Local	1–2 mg/kg	once per procedure	Strong	Tobias KM, Harvey RC, Byarlay JM. A comparison of four methods of analgesia in cats following ovariohysterectomy. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. 2006;33(6):390-398. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2995.2005.00282.x; Yilmaz OT, Toydemir TSF, Kirsan I, Dokuzeylul B, Gunay Z, Karacam E. Effects of Surgical Wound Infiltration with Bupivacaine on Postoperative Analgesia in Cats Undergoing Bilateral Mastectomy. J Vet Med Sci. 2014;76(12):1595-1601. doi:10.1292/jvms.14-0112 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.172 (2026-08-01).
Dog (Domestic)	Local	1–2 mg/kg	once per procedure	Strong

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· Tobias KM, Harvey RC, Byarlay JM. A comparison of four methods of analgesia in cats following ovariohysterectomy. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. 2006;33(6):390-398. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2995.2005.00282.x; Yilmaz OT, Toydemir TSF, Kirsan I, Dokuzeylul B, Gunay Z, Karacam E. Effects of Surgical Wound Infiltration with Bupivacaine on Postoperative Analgesia in Cats Undergoing Bilateral Mastectomy. J Vet Med Sci. 2014;76(12):1595-1601. doi:10.1292/jvms.14-0112 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.172 (2026-08-01).