Oxycodone is a prescription drug that is used to treat severe pain quickly, but there’s no real evidence that shows that is an effective pain killer for cats.
As the owner, your major responsibility is to determine whether your cat is in enough pain to merit a trip to the veterinarian, or if they will be able to suffer through it at home with a little TLC. If the situation is dire enough that they need to see the vet, bring them in and they will determine what is wrong with your cat and set a proper course of treatment.
If you don’t feel like your cat is in that much pain, they made it to let time heal what’s wrong with them. But the chances are, if you’re considering giving them something like oxycodone, there are some pretty severe pain, which means they probably need to see the vet.
Can I Give My Cat Oxycodone? Answer: No.
There are several reasons why you don’t want to play doctor when it comes to your cat. You might think that you’re doing a good thing by giving them a painkiller like oxycodone, but you might be making things worse, and there are much better options available then self-medicating from an on-hand supply. It might be more expensive, but it’s doing right by your cat.
Pain Relief for Cats
It’s hard to see your pet in pain, and animals exhibit symptoms of pain for a myriad of different problems. If you already know what your cat is in pain from, for example if you already took them to the vet and they determined what the problem is, or you saw them take a bad fall and you know they’re suffering from an injury, you may feel like you can start to treat your cat on your own.
But if you take them to the vet the vet will typically give you something for pain if the cat needs it, and if you saw what is causing them pain then you should take them to the vet so that you can see if they broke anything or have internal bleeding. You shouldn’t just assume that all your cat needs is some pain killers and then they’ll be fine. Masking over pain symptoms is not a good idea, it’s your cat’s body’s way of telling the cat that something isn’t right, and it’s your sign that they need professional attention.
Cats and Prescription Medicine
You don’t want to give other humans medicine that was prescribed to you, so you definitely don’t want to give it to your cat. For one, oxycodone is not something that vets usually prescribe for cats, because there are so many other better choices available with a long track record of success and few side effects. Second, you have no idea what kind of dose to give them, since reliable dosing information is not available and you’re probably not a veterinarian.
Could Be More Serious
The condition that your cat is suffering from might be pretty serious, and if you ignore the signs you could be letting it get worse by turning a blind eye to it. This could mean a longer recovery time, and less time with your cat if they end up dying from whatever is wrong with them. You would’t want that on your conscience so it’s always best to get things checked out to make sure that they’re OK and you can have peace of mind knowing that you’re giving them the best care possible.
Dosing Can’t Fix the Problem
If you think you can just tinker with the dosage and make oxycodone work for your cat, you’re wrong. It’s an opiad, and while cats are prescribed these types of drugs by vets, they are usually not prescribed this particular kind. Therefore there isn’t a lot of research available, and not a lot of data on hand as to how a cat responds to it. You might temporarily ease their pain, but the resulting side effects could make their situation worse.
So rather than exacerbate things, it’s best to seek out professional help and get your cat the care they deserve while they’re hurting.
It is my understanding that acetaminophen is poisonous to cats as the liver cannot metabolize it properly.
Not all Oxycodone contains acetaminophen.