A clear, colourless aqueous solution for injection, containing buprenorphine 0.3 mg/mL (as hydrochloride).

Dogs: Postoperative analgesia and sedation.
Cats: Postoperative analgesia.

To be injected intramuscularly.
To ensure that analgesia is present immediately on recovery, the product can be administered preoperatively. If additional analgesia is subsequently required, this may be achieved by administration of a further dose or concomitant use of a suitable injectable NSAID.
When administered preoperatively in conjunction with other premedicants, it may be possible to reduce the amount of premedicant, such as acepromazine or medetomidine, also the amount of inhalational anaesthetic used.
Postoperative Analgesia:
Dog: 10-20 microgram per kg (0.3-0.6 mL per 10 kg), repeated if necessary, after 3-4 hours with 10 microgram or 5-6 hours with 20 microgram doses.
Cat: 10-20 microgram per kg (0.3-0.6 mL per 10 kg), repeated if necessary, once after 2 hours.
Sedation:
Dog: 10-20 microgram per kg (0.3-0.6 mL per 10 kg).

Buprenorphine may cause some drowsiness, which may be potentiated by other centrally-acting agents, including tranquillisers, sedatives and hypnotic. It should not be used in conjunction with morphine or other opioid-type analgesic e.g. etorphine, fentanyl, pethidine, methadone, papaveretum and butorphanol.
Salivation, bradycardia, hypothermia, agitation, dehydration and miosis can occur in the dog, and rarely hypertension and tachycardia. Mydriasis and signs of euphoria (excessive purring, pacing, rubbing) commonly occur in cats and will usually resolve within 24 hours.
Buprenorphine may occasionally cause significant respiratory depression and care should be taken in treating animals with impaired respiratory function or that are receiving drugs that an cause respiratory depression. Should respiratory depression occur to a clinically undesirable degree, supportive measures should be used to maintain adequate ventilation and oxygenation. Treatment with an opiate antagonist naloxone and/or the respiratory stimulant doxapram may also be of benefit, if necessary they may need to be administered repeatedly or by continuous infusion.
Since buprenorphine is metabolised in the liver, its intensity and duration of action may be affected in animals with impaired liver function. Safety has not been fully evaluated in clinically compromised cats e.g. those suffering from renal or hepatic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease or shock.
Buprenorphine crosses the placental barrier. There may be some evidence of its effect on neonates born to mothers treated prior to parturition and where the dose administered is still producing analgesia. It should therefore, be used with caution in pregnant animals. Although reproduction studies in animals do not indicate a teratogenic risk, buprenorphine should be used with caution in pregnant animals. As it is likely that buprenorphine will be excreted in milk, care should be taken when administering it to lactating animals.
The product should not be used preoperatively in cases of Caesarean section, due to the risk or respiratory depression in the offspring periparturiently, and should only be used postoperatively with special care.
Animals administered opioids possessing sedative and analgesic properties may show variable responses. Therefore, the response of individual animals should be monitored and subsequent doses should be adjusted accordingly. In some cases, repeat doses may fail to provide additional analgesia. In these cases, consideration should be given to use of an analgesic from an alternative class.

Store below 25°C. Protect from light.
This product does not contain an antimicrobial preservative. Any solution remaining in the ampoule following withdrawal of the required dose should be discarded.
Keep out of reach of children.
Any unused veterinary medicinal product or waste materials derived from such veterinary medicinal products should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.

POM-V CD (Sch3)

Carton of 5 by 1 mL glass ampoules.

Vetergesic has been used successfully witha wide range of premedicant and anaesthetic agents including: acepromazine, alphaxalone/alphadalone, atropine, dexmedetomidine, halothane, isoflurane, ketamine, medetomidine, propofol, sevoflurane thiopentone and xylazine.
Precautions to be taken by the person administering the product to animals: in case of accidental self-injection or ingestion seek medical advice taking bottle and package leaflet to the physician.