What Is Torbutrol?

Torbutrol is the brand name of the prescription veterinary medicine butorphanol tartrate, which can be used for sedation and cough suppression, but mostly for pain relief.

  1. Identification

    • Torbutrol is an opiate agonist, like morphine and fentanyl, so it is also a controlled substance. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) require veterinarians to have a DEA license to prescribe it because it is a Class IV drug.

    Effects

    • Torbutrol has similar side effects to other opiates, but the most common are sedation, loss of appetite, lowered heart rate and diarrhea. Allergic responses like hives, rash, difficulty breathing and swelling can also occur if an allergy to the drug or its components is present or develops.

    Types

    • It is available in doses of 1 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg tablets, as well as a wider range of doses in an injectable form. Torbutrol also comes in a formulation for use in humans.

    Considerations

    • Torbutrol can also be used with other anesthesia drugs, primarily for sedation rather than pain relief, although caution must be used as it can interact with other drugs. Care also must be taken by pet owners to know which pet medications, prescription and over-the-counter, might also interact with it, leading to serious side effects.

    Benefits

    • The drug butorphanol also combats nausea and is used in conjunction with some chemotherapy medications for this reason.