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 Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy), Morphine monograph, printed p.910 (corpus plumb p.937), DOGS - Analgesia (extra-label), item c) Epidural. - SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook - ISBN 9781394172207. 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 | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy), Morphine monograph, printed p.910 (corpus plumb p.937), DOGS - Analgesia (extra-label), item c) Epidural. - SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook - ISBN 9781394172207 |
| IM | 0.5–2 mg/kg | q4-6h | Short-term | Moderate to severe pain | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.907, Morphine monograph spanning p.907-911; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| 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). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.907, Morphine monograph spanning p.907-911; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.291 | a dose of 0.5 mg/kg i.v., i.m. q2h is required to produce analgesia in experimental models. Pain should |
| 0.1–0.2 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.291 | l morphine (use Duramorph as it is preservative-free): 0.1-0.2 mg/kg diluted with 0.26 ml/kg of sterile saline (up to a total maximum volume of 6 ml in a |
| 0.5 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.572 | • Analgesia: 0.5 mg/kg q2h IV or IM. However, a dose range of 0.1-1 mg/kg IV, |
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.
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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.
| 0.1–1 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.572 | • Analgesia: 0.5 mg/kg q2h IV or IM. However, a dose range of 0.1-1 mg/kg IV, |
| 0.2 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.572 | • CRI: Loading dose of 0.2 mg/kg IV, followed by 0.1 mg/kg/hr. This may be in- |
| 0.1 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.572 | • CRI: Loading dose of 0.2 mg/kg IV, followed by 0.1 mg/kg/hr. This may be in- |
| 0.3 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.572 | creased to a loading dose of 0.3 mg/kg, followed by 0.17 mg/kg/hr for more severe |
| 0.17 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.572 | creased to a loading dose of 0.3 mg/kg, followed by 0.17 mg/kg/hr for more severe |
| 0.6 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.573 | pain. Doses as high as a loading dose of 0.6 mg/kg, followed by 0.34 mg/kg |
| 0.34 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.573 | pain. Doses as high as a loading dose of 0.6 mg/kg, followed by 0.34 mg/kg |
| 0.1 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.573 | • Epidural: 0.1 mg/kg. |
| 0.24 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.573 | 0.24 mg/kg hr; lidocaine: 3 mg/kg/hr; and ketamine: 0.6 mg/kg/hr, |
| 3 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.573 | 0.24 mg/kg hr; lidocaine: 3 mg/kg/hr; and ketamine: 0.6 mg/kg/hr, |
| Dose (ml/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.26 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.291 | s it is preservative-free): 0.1-0.2 mg/kg diluted with 0.26 ml/kg of sterile saline (up to a total maximum volume of 6 ml in all dogs). There is a lat |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.