Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Morphine is dosed at 0.1 mg/kg EPIDURAL Single injection in dogs, per Matthews N. Perioperative analgesia: Part 1. Concepts and drugs. Presented at: Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference; 2008. PMID: 42371399 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.937 (2026-08-01).. Morphine is used in dogs for Surgical analgesia (hindlimb, perineal), Moderate to severe pain, Severe pain, CRI. Routes documented in dogs: EPIDURAL, IM, IV. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Morphine in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPIDURAL | 0.1 mg/kg | Single injection | Single epidural dose (up to 24h effect) | Surgical analgesia (hindlimb, perineal) | Strong | Matthews N. Perioperative analgesia: Part 1. Concepts and drugs. Presented at: Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference; 2008. PMID: 42371399 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.937 (2026-08-01). |
| IM | 0.5–2 mg/kg | q4-6h | Short-term | Moderate to severe pain | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed |
| IV | 0.1–0.5 mg/kg | q2-4h bolus or 0.1-0.3 mg/kg/h CRI | Short-term | Severe pain, CRI | Strong | Lucas AN, Firth AM, Anderson GA, Vine JH, Edwards GA. Comparison of the effects of morphine administered by constant-rate intravenous infusion or intermittent intramuscular injection in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2001;218(6):884-891. doi:10.2460/javma.2001.218.884 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.937 (2026-08-01). |
One of the cited rules is a continuous-rate-infusion regimen: IV 0.1–0.5 mg/kg q2-4h bolus or 0.1-0.3 mg/kg/h CRI. CRI regimens are delivered as a continuous infusion rather than discrete doses — verify the rate against the cited source before use.
Need the exact dose for your patient?
These ranges are per kg. Enter your dog's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Prototype full mu-opioid receptor agonist. Activates mu, kappa, and delta opioid receptors producing analgesia, sedation, and euphoria.
Histamine release with rapid IV injection (hypotension, bronchoconstriction — give slowly). Vomiting and defecation common initial effects. Respiratory depression. Cats: may cause excitation/dysphoria at higher doses. Controlled substance (Schedule II).
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Morphine dose ranges in dogs, with cited source references: EPIDURAL 0.1 mg/kg Single injection; IM 0.5–2 mg/kg q4-6h; IV 0.1–0.5 mg/kg q2-4h bolus or 0.1-0.3 mg/kg/h CRI. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Morphine in dogs: EPIDURAL, IM, IV.
Cited course lengths for Morphine in dogs include: Single epidural dose (up to 24h effect); Short-term. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Morphine is indicated in dogs for: Surgical analgesia (hindlimb, perineal), Moderate to severe pain, Severe pain, CRI.
These are general warnings for Morphine across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Histamine release with rapid IV injection (hypotension, bronchoconstriction — give slowly). Vomiting and defecation common initial effects. Respiratory depression. Cats: may cause excitation/dysphoria at higher doses. Controlled substance (Schedule II).
Why a species-specific page? Morphine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in dogs — 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.