Not drinking after Buprenorphine in cats

The FDA has received 304 reports of not drinking in cats after Buprenorphine. That is 5.4% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 1.1% across reports for all cat medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

304Reports

47%Marked serious

24%Recovered

23%Died or euthanised

Same dayTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

140 50%

1–2 days

87 31%

3–7 days

23 8.2%

1–4 weeks

15 5.4%

Over a month

14 5.0%

How the animals did

Recovered

71 23%

Recovered with lasting effects

1 0.3%

Still unwell when reported

101 33%

Died

32 11%

Euthanised

39 13%

Not known

60 20%

Problems reported at the same time

273 90%

101 33%

98 32%

89 29%

70 23%

Restlessness or agitation

62 20%

Not sleeping

57 19%

Hiding

56 18%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

117

About this medicine

Buprenorphine pain relief (an opioid).

Questions owners ask

Can Buprenorphine cause not drinking in cats?: 304 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within the same day of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Not drinking with similar medicines

Not drinking after Dexmedetomidine (Dexdomitor) 46 reports · 1.8% of its reports

All reported side effects of Buprenorphine in cats · Medicines most reported with not drinking