Cat · Felis catus · typical adult weight 2.50–7.00 kg
Methadone is dosed at 0.1–0.3 mg/kg IM q4-6h in cats, per Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.872 (2026-08-01).. Methadone is used in cats for Perioperative analgesia. Routes documented in cats: IM. A typical adult cat weighs 2.50–7.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Methadone in cats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Methadose
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.1–0.3 mg/kg | q4-6h | Perioperative | Perioperative analgesia | Strong | Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.872 (2026-08-01). |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your cat's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Full mu-opioid receptor agonist providing analgesia. Also antagonizes NMDA receptors and inhibits serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake, contributing to multimodal analgesia.
Respiratory depression. Bradycardia. No histamine release (advantage over morphine). NMDA antagonism provides wind-up prevention. Controlled substance (Schedule II). Dogs and cats.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for cats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Methadone dose range in cats, with cited source references: IM 0.1–0.3 mg/kg q4-6h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Methadone in cats: IM.
Cited course lengths for Methadone in cats include: Perioperative. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Methadone is indicated in cats for: Perioperative analgesia.
These are general warnings for Methadone across species; consult the cat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Respiratory depression. Bradycardia. No histamine release (advantage over morphine). NMDA antagonism provides wind-up prevention. Controlled substance (Schedule II). Dogs and cats.
Why a species-specific page? Methadone pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in cats — 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.