What routes can Terbutaline be administered by?

Available routes: PO, SC, IM, IV.

Is Terbutaline a controlled substance?

Terbutaline is not federally scheduled in the US. Controlled-drug status differs by country — verify your local rules.

Terbutaline

US brand names:Brethine

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

Terbutaline is dosed at 0.01 mg/kg IM, PO q6h in african grey parrots, per Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed. (2023), p.494; corroborated by Current Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery, 1st ed. (2016), p.838. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Current Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9781455746712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781455746712 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.494 — "Terbutaline 0.01 mg/kg PO, IM q6h(529) — Psittacines/alpha2-selective smooth muscle bronchodilator". Reference 529 = Lichtenberger M, "Treatment of respiratory inhalant toxins in 4 psittacine birds", Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet 2003:39-43 — a four-bird conference report, which is why this is graded WEAK across every species it covers.. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Respiratory

Routes

POSCIMIV

Indications

Acute bronchospasmAcute feline asthma exacerbationAcute respiratory distressBradyarrhythmiasBronchodilationBronchodilation (respiratory inhalant toxicosis)BronchodilatorBronchospasmChronic feline asthma maintenanceobstructive pulmonary diseasepneumonitis

Mechanism of Action

Selective beta-2 adrenergic agonist. Relaxes bronchial smooth muscle, promoting bronchodilation. Also inhibits mast cell mediator release.

Side effects & warnings

Tachycardia, tremors, and restlessness at high doses. Use with caution in animals with cardiac arrhythmias or hyperthyroidism. Monitor heart rate.

Species with Terbutaline dosing data (14 dose rules)

African Grey Parrot Amazon Parrot Blue-and-Gold Macaw Cat (Domestic)Dog (Domestic)Green-cheeked Conure Lovebird Rabbit (Domestic)Umbrella Cockatoo

Species references:All African Grey Parrot drugs All Amazon Parrot drugs All Blue-and-Gold Macaw drugs All Cat (Domestic) drugs All Dog (Domestic) drugs All Green-cheeked Conure drugs

Evidence levels across 14 dose rules

Anecdotal×3Weak×6Moderate×4Extrapolated×1

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

Backed by 13 published sources

· 529. Lichtenberger M. Treatment of respiratory inhalant toxins in 4 psittacine birds. Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet; 2003:39-43. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.488 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.16 (Agents Used in Bird Emergencies.a). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.494 — "Terbutaline 0.01 mg/kg PO, IM q6h(529) — Psittacines/alpha2-selective smooth muscle bronchodilator". Reference 529 = Lichtenberger M, "Treatment of respiratory inhalant toxins in 4 psittacine birds", Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet 2003:39-43 — a four-bird conference report, which is why this is graded WEAK across every species it covers.

Sample dosing (2 of 14 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 9 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)	PO	0.1–0.2 mg/kg	q12h	Moderate	Riviere JE, Papich MG. Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ch.22 Antiarrhythmic Agents, Table 22.2 (corpus p.567) - the only retrieved page printing 0.1-0.2 mg/kg PO q12h for cats
Cat (Domestic)	PO	0.1 mg/kg	q8-12h	Moderate	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.1213, Terbutaline monograph spanning p.1213-1214; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — verbatim at that page: "0.625 mg/cat (NOT mg/kg) PO ... alternatively, 0.01 mg/kg IM or SC if the cat is intolerant of oral administration". — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207

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Other formulations of Terbutaline

Terbutaline Injectable

Pet Rat Mycoplasmosis: Long-Term Management of Chronic Respiratory Disease
Clinician-aimed reference for managing Mycoplasma pulmonis-associated chronic respiratory disease in pet rats, covering pathophysiology, antibiotic selection (enrofloxacin, doxycycline, azithromycin, chloramphenicol), adjunctive therapy, husbandry intervention, and prognosis with cited dose ranges and evidence-level labels.

Calculate Dosage for Terbutaline

529. Lichtenberger M. Treatment of respiratory inhalant toxins in 4 psittacine birds. Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet; 2003:39-43. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.494 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.494 — "Terbutaline 0.01 mg/kg PO, IM q6h(529) — Psittacines/alpha2-selective smooth muscle bronchodilator". Reference 529 = Lichtenberger M, "Treatment of respiratory inhalant toxins in 4 psittacine birds", Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet 2003:39-43 — a four-bird conference report, which is why this is graded WEAK across every species it covers.

· 789. Rupiper DJ.Personal communication. 2004. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.494 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.494 — "Terbutaline 0.1 mg/kg PO q12-24h(789) — Macaws, Amazon parrots/bronchodilator; obstructive pulmonary disease". Reference 789 = "Rupiper DJ. Personal communication. 2004." — an UNPUBLISHED personal communication, which is why this is graded ANECDOTAL. The same table prints 0.01 mg/kg PO, IM q6h for psittacines generally, from a published source.

· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed, Part A (Canine and Feline), Terbutaline, printed p.395 (corpus PDF p.411) — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part A — Canine and Feline — ISBN 9781910443705, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443705

· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, rabbit miscellaneous-agents table, p.880: 'Terbutaline 0.01 mg/kg SC q12h'. Superscript 66 = Ferris RL, Quesenberry KE, Weisse CW. Outcome of intraluminal tracheal stent placement for tracheal stenosis in a rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). J Exot Pet Med. 2019;31C:23-27 (read in full at carpenter refs p.906). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.10 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rabbits). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9780323484350, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323484350

· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed. (2023), p.494; corroborated by Current Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery, 1st ed. (2016), p.838. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Current Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9781455746712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781455746712 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.494 — "Terbutaline 0.01 mg/kg PO, IM q6h(529) — Psittacines/alpha2-selective smooth muscle bronchodilator". Reference 529 = Lichtenberger M, "Treatment of respiratory inhalant toxins in 4 psittacine birds", Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet 2003:39-43 — a four-bird conference report, which is why this is graded WEAK across every species it covers.

· Lichtenberger M. Treatment of respiratory inhalant toxins in 4 psittacine birds. Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet; 2003:39-43. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.494 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.494 — "Terbutaline 0.01 mg/kg PO, IM q6h(529) — Psittacines/alpha2-selective smooth muscle bronchodilator". Reference 529 = Lichtenberger M, "Treatment of respiratory inhalant toxins in 4 psittacine birds", Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet 2003:39-43 — a four-bird conference report, which is why this is graded WEAK across every species it covers.

· Odunayo A. Management of potassium disorders. Clinician's Brief. 2014;12:69-72. PMID: 42056998 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.1241 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.1214, Terbutaline monograph spanning p.1213-1214; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207

· Padrid P. Feline bronchial disease: therapeutic recommendations for the 21st century. Presented at: North American Veterinary Conference; 2000. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.1241 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.1214, Terbutaline monograph spanning p.1213-1214; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207

· 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.1213, Terbutaline monograph spanning p.1213-1214; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — verbatim at that page: "0.625 mg/cat (NOT mg/kg) PO ... alternatively, 0.01 mg/kg IM or SC if the cat is intolerant of oral administration". — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207

· Rishniw M, Thomas W. Bradyarrhythmias. In: Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy: XIII Small Animal Practice. WB Saunders; 2000:719-725. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.1241 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.1213, Terbutaline monograph spanning p.1213-1214; 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

· Riviere JE, Papich MG. Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ch.22 Antiarrhythmic Agents, Table 22.2 (corpus p.567) - the only retrieved page printing 0.1-0.2 mg/kg PO q12h for cats

· Rupiper DJ. Personal communication. 2004. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.494 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18, corpus p.494 — "Terbutaline 0.1 mg/kg PO q12-24h(789) — Macaws, Amazon parrots/bronchodilator; obstructive pulmonary disease". Reference 789 = "Rupiper DJ. Personal communication. 2004." — an UNPUBLISHED personal communication, which is why this is graded ANECDOTAL. The same table prints 0.01 mg/kg PO, IM q6h for psittacines generally, from a published source.