Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Oxycodone pain relief and side effects in 103 dogs with tumors
By Ko, Byung-Gee et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2025·Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of the effectiveness and adverse events of oxycodone as a pain-relieving agent in 103 dogs with tumors: a retrospective study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 103 dogs with tumors were treated with oxycodone to help manage their pain. The treatment provided significant pain relief, with about 68% of dogs showing improvement, especially those with metastatic tumors. While some dogs experienced mild side effects like lethargy and diarrhea, these issues were temporary and resolved after stopping the medication. Overall, oxycodone proved to be an effective and well-tolerated option for pain management in dogs suffering from cancer.
People also search for: dog cancer pain relief · oxycodone for dogs with tumors · side effects of pain medication in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Oxycodone, a semi-synthetic opioid, has been widely used in human medicine for the management of tumor-related pain due to its potent analgesic properties. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oxycodone in managing tumor-related pain in dogs, addressing the current lack of research on effective analgesic options for canine cancer dogs. Medical records of 103 tumor-bearing dogs treated with oxycodone were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Oxycodone demonstrated an analgesic effect ranging from 23.1 to 63.6%, depending on the anatomical origin of the tumor. Improvement was observed in 67.7% of dogs with metastatic lesions. In the monotherapy group, the mean pain relief score increased from 8.73 ± 1.27 before treatment to 9.65 ± 1.53 after administration (p < 0.0001). In the combination therapy group, score rose from 8.75 ± 1.20 to 9.83 ± 1.87 (p = 0.0002). Across the entire canine patient cohort, the mean pain relief score increased from 8.74 ± 1.23 to 9.74 ± 1.70 following treatment (p < 0.0001). Adverse effects included lethargy (n = 6), diarrhea (n = 2), vomiting (n = 1), tachypnea (n = 1), and stargazing (n = 1). All were self-limiting and resolved after discontinuation of the drug. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Oxycodone demonstrated an overall favorable analgesic profile and could be a well-tolerated and promising pain management solution, both as monotherapy and in combination therapy, for tumor-related pain in dogs, including those with advanced-stage tumors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41039609/