Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Tramadol is dosed at 2–3 mg/kg IV q8h in dogs, per Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed. Tramadol is used in dogs for Peri-operative analgesia, Chronic osteoarthritis pain adjunct, Mild-moderate pain, chronic pain adjunct. Routes documented in dogs: IV, PO. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Tramadol in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | 2–3 mg/kg | q8h | Peri-operative | Peri-operative analgesia | Moderate | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed |
| PO | 3–5 mg/kgmax 300 mg total | q8h | Chronic | Chronic osteoarthritis pain adjunct |
| Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed |
| PO | 2–5 mg/kgmax 300 mg total | q8-12h | As needed for pain management | Mild-moderate pain, chronic pain adjunct | Moderate | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th Ed, Part A - Canine and Feline, Tramadol, p.411 (corpus p.427) |
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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.
Weak mu-opioid receptor agonist plus norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibition. Dual mechanism of analgesia.
Dogs metabolize to O-desmethyltramadol poorly compared to humans (reduced opioid effect). May cause sedation, dysphoria. Serotonin syndrome risk with concurrent SSRIs. Cats may respond better than dogs.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Tramadol dose ranges in dogs, with cited source references: IV 2–3 mg/kg q8h; PO 3–5 mg/kg q8h; PO 2–5 mg/kg q8-12h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Tramadol in dogs: IV, PO.
Cited course lengths for Tramadol in dogs include: Peri-operative; Chronic; As needed for pain management. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Tramadol is indicated in dogs for: Peri-operative analgesia, Chronic osteoarthritis pain adjunct, Mild-moderate pain, chronic pain adjunct.
These are general warnings for Tramadol across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Dogs metabolize to O-desmethyltramadol poorly compared to humans (reduced opioid effect). May cause sedation, dysphoria. Serotonin syndrome risk with concurrent SSRIs. Cats may respond better than dogs.
Why a species-specific page? Tramadol 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.