Which species have cited Hydromorphone dosing data?

Hydromorphone dosing in the ExoticRx formulary covers 5 species: Cat (Domestic), Corn Snake, Dog (Domestic), Leopard Gecko, Sulcata Tortoise.

Is Hydromorphone a controlled substance?

Yes — Hydromorphone is a controlled substance under US federal law.

Hydromorphone

US brand names:Dilaudid

Calculate dosage

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

Hydromorphone is dosed at 0.1 mg/kg IM See source in corn snakes, per Gastric Intussusceptions in a Red Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) Associated with Cryptosporidiosis. Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine. 2017; Article ID 4270904. DOI 10.1155/2017/4270904; PMID 29955428; PMCID PMC6005285. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6005285/. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Analgesic

Routes

IVIMSC

Indications

Immobilization (sedation/anesthesia)Moderate to severe painPost-operative analgesia pre-anesthetic Sedation

Mechanism of Action

Semi-synthetic opioid agonist at mu-opioid receptors, producing potent analgesia, sedation, and euphoria. Approximately 5-7x more potent than morphine.

Side effects & warnings

Respiratory depression, bradycardia, hypothermia. May cause panting and hyperthermia in cats. Vomiting common after initial dose in dogs. Schedule II controlled substance. Naloxone is the reversal agent.

Species with Hydromorphone dosing data (9 dose rules)

Cat (Domestic)Corn Snake Dog (Domestic)Leopard Gecko Sulcata Tortoise

Species references:All Cat (Domestic) drugs All Corn Snake drugs All Dog (Domestic) drugs All Leopard Gecko drugs All Sulcata Tortoise drugs

Controlled Substance

Controlled substance in the US

Controlled-drug status and schedules differ by country — check your local scheduling rules.

Evidence levels across 9 dose rules

Strong×4Anecdotal×1Weak×4

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

Backed by 6 published sources

· Gastric Intussusceptions in a Red Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) Associated with Cryptosporidiosis. Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine. 2017; Article ID 4270904. DOI 10.1155/2017/4270904; PMID 29955428; PMCID PMC6005285. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6005285/
· Marsh MK, et al. Sedation and Anesthesia of Galapagos (Chelonoidis nigra), Aldabra (Aldabrachelys gigantea), and African Spurred Tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata): A Retrospective Review (2009-2019). Animals. 2021;11(10):2920. doi:10.3390/ani11102920; PMCID: PMC8532946. Table 1. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8532946/
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed; FDA openFDA Adverse Event Database

Sample dosing (2 of 9 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
Dog (Domestic)	IM	0.05–0.2 mg/kg	q2-6h	Strong	Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed; FDA openFDA Adverse Event Database
Dog (Domestic)	IV	0.05–0.2 mg/kg	q2-6h	Strong	Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed; KuKanich & Wiese 2015, JAVMA; FDA openFDA Adverse Event Database

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Calculate Dosage for Hydromorphone