Torbutrol has been used safely as an analgesic in veterinary medicine for years. It is particularly effective as a sedative in cats because of its mild properties---it acts quickly in the animal's body for only a short time with relatively minor, treatable side effects.
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Torbutrol is an effective pain medication in cats with few side effects.
Effects
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Torbutrol, the trade name for butorphanol tartrate, is an opiate medication used in veterinary medicine to suppress coughing symptoms in cats with respiratory disease. Also called Torbugesic, butorphanol may be prescribed as an analgesic (pain killer) for animals prior to surgery and for older cats with chronic pain related to osteoarthritis. Butorphanol is commonly used prior to cancer chemotherapy because it combats nausea.
Side Effects
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Sedation is common in cats when butorphanol is used in lower doses as an antitussive (cough suppressant) or painkiller; in higher doses, respiratory depression is common. Some cats may become so constipated they are unable to pass stool. Other cats will develop diarrhea. Bradycardia (lowered heart rate) can occur when butorphanol is administered pre-surgically, but veterinarians are aware of this side effect and commonly monitor the sedated animal's heart closely. With severe respiratory depression, a drug called naloxone can be used to reverse the effects of butorphanol.
Function
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Butorphanol functions two ways in the feline body. This opiate sedative forces particular receptor cells in the body to bond with other pain killing drugs and produce a more relaxed effect without the respiratory problems normally associated with deep sedation. Butorphanol functions as a cough suppressant by causing another kind of receptor cell to bind with other sedatives to produce a slight, manageable respiratory depression. Veterinarians may also administer butorphanol to provide pain relief and sedation while negating the heavier narcotic effects of drugs such as hydrocodone and oxymorphone.
Considerations
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In a clinical setting, butorphanol is normally administered to cats as an injection. For at home use, it is commonly prescribed in pill form to be given three to four times a day. Veterinarians recommend that pet owners who miss a dose not double the next dose as this may prove toxic to the cat. Owners must also be aware that butorphanol is a Schedule II controlled substance and should be stored away from children and other pets in a light-resistant childproof container.
Warning
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Veterinarians need to be made aware of any other medications the patient is taking due to drug interactions with butorphanol that may prove harmful to the cat. Butorphanol will lesson the effects of other opioids such as morphine and meperidine and will increase the effects of other sedatives. If used in conjunction with tranquilizers or antihistamines, the cat could go into respiratory distress. Certain physiological and disease conditions are contraindicated for butorphanol. Butorphanol is commonly not recommended for cats with liver or kidney failure, as it may not be totally cleared from the cat's body. Because it passes the placental barrier and will move into mother's milk, butorphanol is not normally prescribed for pregnant and nursing mothers. It is also not commonly used in patients with pneumonia, head trauma or debilitated patients where fluid accumulation in the body is detrimental to their recovery.
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