Pocket Pet · Mustela putorius furo · typical adult weight 0.60–2.00 kg
Buprenorphine is dosed at 0.01–0.05 mg/kg IM q6-8h in ferrets, per Heard DJ. Principles and techniques of anesthesia and analgesia for exotic practice. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1993;23:1301-1327. doi:10.1016/s0195-5616(93)50157-2; Ko JC, Marini RP. Anesthesia. In: Fox JG, Marini RP, eds. Biology and Diseases of the Ferret, 3rd ed., Wiley Blackwell, Ames, IA; 2014:259-283. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.943 (2026-08-01).. Buprenorphine is used in ferrets for Pain (opioid). Routes documented in ferrets: IM, SC. A typical adult ferret weighs 0.60–2.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Buprenorphine in ferrets, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Simbadol, Buprenex
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.01–0.05 mg/kg | q6-8h | Pain (opioid) | Strong | Heard DJ. Principles and techniques of anesthesia and analgesia for exotic practice. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1993;23:1301-1327. doi:10.1016/s0195-5616(93)50157-2; Ko JC, Marini RP. Anesthesia. In: Fox JG, Marini RP, eds. Biology and Diseases of the Ferret, 3rd ed., Wiley Blackwell, Ames, IA; 2014:259-283. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.943 (2026-08-01). |
| SC | 0.01–0.05 mg/kg | q6-8h | Pain (opioid) | Strong | Heard DJ. Principles and techniques of anesthesia and analgesia for exotic practice. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 1993;23:1301-1327. doi:10.1016/s0195-5616(93)50157-2; Ko JC, Marini RP. Anesthesia. In: Fox JG, Marini RP, eds. Biology and Diseases of the Ferret, 3rd ed., Wiley Blackwell, Ames, IA; 2014:259-283. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.943 (2026-08-01). |
Need the exact dose for your patient?
These ranges are per kg. Enter your ferret's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Partial agonist at mu-opioid receptors with high receptor affinity. Provides analgesia with a ceiling effect on respiratory depression.
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 ferrets may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Buprenorphine dose ranges in ferrets, with cited source references: IM 0.01–0.05 mg/kg q6-8h; SC 0.01–0.05 mg/kg q6-8h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Buprenorphine in ferrets: IM, SC.
Buprenorphine is indicated in ferrets for: Pain (opioid).
These are general warnings for Buprenorphine across species; consult the ferret dosing table above for species-specific guidance. OTM (oral transmucosal) absorption effective in cats. Ceiling effect limits maximum analgesia. Difficult to reverse with naloxone due to high receptor affinity.
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 ferrets — 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.