What is Hydromorphone used for?

Hydromorphone is indicated for: Acute pain, Acute pain (full mu-agonist opioid), Analgesia, Analgesia (opioid), analgesic efficacy not demonstrated in bearded dragons, Immobilization (sedation/anesthesia), Moderate to severe pain, Moderate to severe pain (analgesia), Opioid analgesia, peri-operative opioid analgesia, Post-operative analgesia, pre-anesthetic, Sedation, Sedation (NOT demonstrated as an analgesic in this species).

Which species have cited Hydromorphone dosing data?

Hydromorphone dosing in the ExoticRx formulary covers 12 species: African Pygmy Hedgehog, Bearded Dragon, Cat (Domestic), Chinchilla, Cockatiel, Corn Snake, Dog (Domestic), Ferret, Leopard Gecko, Rabbit (Domestic), Red-eared Slider, 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 0.1–0.2 mg/kg SC, IM, IV q6-8h in rabbits, per Johnston MS. Clinical approaches to analgesia in ferrets and rabbits. J Exot Pet Med. 2005;14:229-235. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.859 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.4 (Chemical Restraint/Sedative/Anesthetic/Analgesic Agents Used in Rabbits.a,b). Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Analgesic

Routes

IVIMSC

Indications

Acute painAcute pain (full mu-agonist opioid)Analgesia

analgesic efficacy not demonstrated in bearded dragons

Moderate to severe pain

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.

Controlled Substance

Controlled substance in the US

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

Evidence levels across 19 dose rules

Moderate×5Strong×5Weak×8Anecdotal×1

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

Sample dosing (2 of 19 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 12 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
Cat (Domestic)	IV	0.025–0.1 mg/kg	q2-6h	Strong	Plumb's 10th ed printed p.619, Hydromorphone monograph spanning p.619-622.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
Cat (Domestic)	IM	0.025–0.1 mg/kg	q2-6h	Strong	Plumb's 10th ed printed p.619, Hydromorphone monograph spanning p.619-622.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

Backed by 15 published sourcesShow

· 180a. Hawkins SJ, Cox S, Yaw TJ, et al. Pharmacokinetics of subcutaneous administered hydromorphone in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) and red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2019;46(3):352-359. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.253 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.6 (Analgesic (Including Antiinflammatory) Agents Used in Reptiles).
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.7 (Preferred Injectable Sedation Protocols Used in Select Reptiles.301,400,430).
· Evenson EA, Mans C. Analgesic efficacy and safety of hydromorphone in chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2018;57:282-285. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.791 PMID 29784079 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.4 (Analgesic Agents Used in Rodents). | 0.05-0.2 mg/kg q8-12h figure source, previously uncited: Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia, Table 6.2 "Commonly used analgesics in mammals", p.109, Rodents/Lagomorphs column: "Hydromorphone 0.05-0.2 mg/kg SC, IM, q 8-12 h - rabbits, rodents" - a genus-generic mammal table, not a chinchilla row. NEITHER NAMED SOURCE PRINTS THE SERVED NUMBER: carpenter Table 9.4's hydromorphone block has exactly two rows, "0.4 mg/kg SC < q2h160 | Rats/PD" and "2 mg/kg SC < q4h45 | Chinchillas/PD", and the cited primary (Evenson and Mans 2018) tested 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg only.

Upgrade for Full Details

Upgrade to Pro or Student to unlock the full dose ranges and frequency for every species. The drug's mechanism, warnings, indications, and cited sources are free to read.

View Plans

· 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/

· Hawkins SJ, Cox S, Yaw TJ, et al. Pharmacokinetics of subcutaneous administered hydromorphone in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) and red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). Vet Anaesth Analg. 2019;46(3):352-359. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.253 doi:10.1016/j.vaa.2018.12.002 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.6 (Analgesic (Including Antiinflammatory) Agents Used in Reptiles).

· Hech B, Knych H, Desprez I, Weiner D, Ambros B. Pharmacokinetics of hydromorphone hydrochloride after intravenous and subcutaneous administration in ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). Vet Anaesth Analg. 2024;51(2):152-159. doi:10.1016/j.vaa.2023.11.009 https://europepmc.org/article/MED/38158281

· Houck EL, Guzman DS, Beaufrère H, Knych HK, Paul-Murphy JR. Evaluation of the thermal antinociceptive effects and pharmacokinetics of hydromorphone hydrochloride after intramuscular administration to cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). Am J Vet Res. 2018;79(8):820-827. doi:10.2460/ajvr.79.8.820 https://europepmc.org/article/MED/30058846

· Johnston MS. Clinical approaches to analgesia in ferrets and rabbits. J Exot Pet Med. 2005;14:229-235. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.859 doi:10.1053/j.saep.2005.09.003 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.4 (Chemical Restraint/Sedative/Anesthetic/Analgesic Agents Used in Rabbits.a,b).

· Lewington JH. Appendix. In: Lewington JH, eds. Ferret Husbandry, Medicine and Surgery; Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK; 2000:273-282. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.944 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 11.6 (Analgesic Agents Used in Ferrets).

· Mans C, Lahner LL, Baker BB, et al. Antinociceptive efficacy of buprenorphine and hydromorphone in red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). J Zoo Wildl Med. 2012;43:662-665. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.253 doi:10.1638/2011-0260r.1 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.6 (Analgesic (Including Antiinflammatory) Agents Used in Reptiles).

· 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/

· Mason AK, Lee J, Perry SM, Boykin KL, Del Piero F, Lierz M, Mitchell MA. Determining the Effects of Serial Injections of Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin on Plasma Testosterone Concentrations, Testicular Dynamics, and Semen Production in Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius). Animals (Basel). 2021;11(9):2477. doi:10.3390/ani11092477 (PMID 34573443, PMC8470321). Open-access full text read. n=24 adult male E. macularius, peri-operative protocol: hydromorphone 0.5 mg/kg SC pre-operatively WITH dexmedetomidine 0.025 mg/kg and meloxicam 0.3 mg/kg, plus one further hydromorphone 0.5 mg/kg SC the following day. NO analgesic efficacy endpoint was measured. NOT supported by carpenter Table 4.7, whose only gecko-relevant hydromorphone entry is a three-drug sedation combination, nor by carpenter Table 4.6, whose reptile hydromorphone rows are scoped to red-eared sliders and bearded dragons.

· Peterson M, Mans C, Doss G. Subcutaneous hydromorphone hydrochloride provides antinociception with transient adverse effects in four-toed hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2024;262(4):1-6. doi:10.2460/javma.23.11.0630. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.23.11.0630

· Plumb's 10th ed printed p.619, Hydromorphone monograph spanning p.619-622.

· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023), Hydromorphone monograph, Dosages - DOGS (printed p.622)