Pocket Pet · Petaurus breviceps · typical adult weight 0.08–0.16 kg
Buprenorphine is dosed at 0.005–0.05 mg/kg PO q 8–12 h in sugar gliders, per MSD/Merck Veterinary Manual. Drugs Commonly Used to Treat Sugar Gliders (dosage table). https://www.msdvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/drugs-commonly-used-to-treat-sugar-gliders URL: https://www.msdvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/drugs-commonly-used-to-treat-sugar-gliders. Buprenorphine is used in sugar gliders for Rescue analgesia. Routes documented in sugar gliders: PO, SC. A typical adult sugar glider weighs 0.08–0.16 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Buprenorphine in sugar gliders, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Simbadol, Buprenex
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.005–0.05 mg/kg | q 8–12 h | — | Weak | MSD/Merck Veterinary Manual. Drugs Commonly Used to Treat Sugar Gliders (dosage table). https://www.msdvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/drugs-commonly-used-to-treat-sugar-gliders URL: https://www.msdvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/drugs-commonly-used-to-treat-sugar-gliders |
| SC | 0.02 mg/kg | as needed (rescue analgesia, if deemed to be in… | Rescue analgesia | Anecdotal | Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, OrcuttCJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630.; Ness RD, Johnson-Delaney C. Sugar gliders. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2012:393-410. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.710 (2026-08-01). — figure located 2026-08-05 at Carpenter's 6th ed, Table 7.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Sugar Gliders); the page cited previously does not carry it. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9780323484350, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323484350 |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your sugar glider'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 sugar gliders may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Buprenorphine dose ranges in sugar gliders, with cited source references: PO 0.005–0.05 mg/kg q 8–12 h; SC 0.02 mg/kg as needed (rescue analgesia, if deemed to be in…. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Buprenorphine in sugar gliders: PO, SC.
Buprenorphine is indicated in sugar gliders for: Rescue analgesia.
These are general warnings for Buprenorphine across species; consult the sugar glider 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 sugar gliders — 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.