Butorphanol for Ferret
Pocket Pet · Mustela putorius furo · typical adult weight 0.60–2.00 kg
Butorphanol is used in ferret for Sedation adjunct / mild analgesia. Routes documented in ferret: SC. A typical adult ferret weighs 0.60–2.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Butorphanol in ferret, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Trade names: Torbugesic, Torbutrol
Dose ranges
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 0.2–0.4 mg/kg | q4-6h | Sedation adjunct / mild analgesia | Moderate | Carpenter 6e |
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.
Mechanism of action
Kappa-opioid receptor agonist and mu-opioid receptor antagonist. Provides visceral analgesia and sedation.
Side effects & warnings
Short duration of action (1-2 hours). Better for visceral than somatic pain. Ceiling effect on analgesia. May cause sedation and mild respiratory depression.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for ferret may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Other Analgesic drugs with ferret dosing
Butorphanol dosing in other species
Why a species-specific page? Butorphanol pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in ferret — 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.