Pale mucous membrane after Buprenorphine in cats

The FDA has received 68 reports of pale mucous membrane in cats after Buprenorphine. That is 1.2% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.6% across reports for all cat medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

68Reports

84%Marked serious

18%Recovered

47%Died or euthanised

1 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

28 44%

1–2 days

15 23%

3–7 days

7 11%

1–4 weeks

7 11%

Over a month

7 11%

How the animals did

Recovered

12 18%

Still unwell when reported

20 29%

Died

14 21%

Euthanised

18 26%

Not known

4 5.9%

Problems reported at the same time

32 47%

31 46%

29 43%

22 32%

20 29%

17 25%

14 21%

14 21%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Buprenorphine pain relief (an opioid).

Questions owners ask

Can Buprenorphine cause pale mucous membrane in cats?: 68 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 1 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).

Pale mucous membrane with similar medicines

Pale mucous membrane after Dexmedetomidine (Dexdomitor) 50 reports · 1.9% of its reports

All reported side effects of Buprenorphine in cats · Medicines most reported with pale mucous membrane