Also sold as Buprenex, Simbadol, Belbuca, Suboxone (with naloxone)
This drug does have veterinary uses, but the product and the amount have to be chosen by a vet who knows your dog. There is no at-home dose.
Buprenorphine is a genuine veterinary painkiller, given by vets to dogs and cats, but it is potent and the human products are a different matter from a vet-dispensed dose. Sedation, slowed breathing, and unsteadiness are the signs. Human film and patch formulations hold much more drug than a single veterinary dose, and Suboxone adds naloxone. Keep the packet or prescription bottle: the strength and the number missing are what make the advice specific.
Call a vet or poison control now. Do not wait for symptoms.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661. A consultation fee may apply.
Educational reference. Not individualized veterinary advice.(more)
See this page's cited references for supporting information and our Sources page for the reference organizations we use. Citations do not imply that those organizations reviewed or endorsed DogSafe.
Part of Pain relievers and NSAIDs on our medication safety hub.
Part of our guide to Pain Medications Toxic to Dogs.
Do not wait for symptoms and do not wait until you have filled in the form below. Call first, then use the checklist while you are on the phone.
Available 24/7. A consultation fee may apply.
Exposure details to have ready
These are the questions a veterinarian or poison-control operator will ask. Fill in what you know and leave the rest blank. This tool does not estimate a dose or a risk score: medication risk depends on the exact ingredient, strength, and formulation, so the assessment has to come from the clinician on the call.
- Keep the package, blister pack, or prescription bottle. The strength and the full ingredient list are what make the advice specific.
- Do not induce vomiting unless a veterinarian or poison-control professional tells you to. It is the wrong move for several medications and can cause harm on its own.
- Do not give milk, food, salt, hydrogen peroxide, or any home remedy on your own.
- Do not give a second dose of anything to make up for one you think was missed.
- Count what is left in the packet, so the number missing can be worked out.
Your exposure summary
Read this down the phone or paste it into a message to your vet. It stays on your device; nothing here is sent to DogSafe.
Why Buprenorphine is dangerous
Buprenorphine is a genuine veterinary painkiller, given by vets to dogs and cats, but it is potent and the human products are a different matter from a vet-dispensed dose. Sedation, slowed breathing, and unsteadiness are the signs. Human film and patch formulations hold much more drug than a single veterinary dose, and Suboxone adds naloxone.
Part of the Human Medicine Exposures guide
For related dog-safety questions and product-by-product answers, see the complete human medicine exposures guide.
Signs to watch for
Sedation, wobbliness, weakness, vomiting, slowed or labored breathing, or a heart rate that seems unusually fast or slow
Related items
Check the exact item or ingredient before assuming two similar exposures carry the same risk.
What to do next
Move the container out of reach, count what is missing, note the strength and the time, and call with the packet in front of you.
🚨Step-by-step: what to do in the first 10 minutes →Available 24/7. A consultation fee may apply.
My dog got into buprenorphine: what matters first
Two different questions bring people here: whether a vet may prescribe buprenorphine to a dog, and what to do when a dog has swallowed some. The answers are not the same, so this page keeps them apart.
1. Start with the exact item
Buprenorphine is a genuine veterinary painkiller, given by vets to dogs and cats, but it is potent and the human products are a different matter from a vet-dispensed dose. Sedation, slowed breathing, and unsteadiness are the signs. Human film and patch formulations hold much more drug than a single veterinary dose, and Suboxone adds naloxone. Browse the complete human medicine exposures guide →
2. Check the details that change the answer
Record the amount, time, dog weight, and any missing packaging or plant parts. A clear label or photo prevents a look-alike from driving the decision. What to do in the first 10 minutes →
3. Use related pages before making assumptions
Nearby products and look-alikes can have different ingredients or hazards. Use the linked cluster pages to identify the closest exact match instead of treating every exposure as the same. Open a closely related item page →
FAQ
There is no at-home dose for this drug, including where a vet has prescribed it before. The right amount depends on your dog's weight, the exact product, and what else your dog takes, and it has to be set by a vet who knows the case.
Prevent any further access and call for advice. Do not give a dose of your own, and do not induce vomiting unless a veterinary professional directs you to.
Call for any exposure that was not the dose your vet set, for a chewed container, or for sedation, weakness, unsteadiness, vomiting, or changes in breathing or heart rate.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — poisonings from human prescription drugs
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center — medication hazards in pets
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Toxicoses from human analgesics in animals
- FDA: Get the facts about pain relievers for pets
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control