Skip to main content

Buprenorphine for Bearded Dragon

Reptile · Pogona vitticeps · typical adult weight 0.38–0.51 kg

Buprenorphine is used in bearded dragon for Pain management. Routes documented in bearded dragon: IM. A typical adult bearded dragon weighs 0.38–0.51 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Buprenorphine in bearded dragon, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Trade names: Simbadol, Buprenex

Dose ranges

RouteDoseFrequencyDurationIndicationEvidenceSource
IM0.02–0.1 mg/kgq24hAs neededPain managementExtrapolatedCarpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed

Need the exact dose for your patient?

These ranges are per kg. Enter your bearded dragon's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.

Calculate for this bearded dragon

Mechanism of action

Partial agonist at mu-opioid receptors with high receptor affinity. Provides analgesia with a ceiling effect on respiratory depression.

Side effects & warnings

OTM (oral transmucosal) absorption effective in cats. Ceiling effect limits maximum analgesia. Difficult to reverse with naloxone due to high receptor affinity.

Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for bearded dragon may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.

Other Analgesic drugs with bearded dragon dosing

Buprenorphine dosing in other species

Why a species-specific page? Buprenorphine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in bearded dragon — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.

Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.