Butorphanol

Indications

TORPHADINE (butorphanol tartrate injection) is indicated for the relief of pain associated with colic in adult horses and yearlings. Clinical studies in the horse have shown that butorphanol tartrate injection alleviates abdominal pain associated with torsion, impaction, intussusception, spasmodic and tympanic colic and postpartum pain.

Dosage and Administration

The recommended dosage in the horse is 0.1 mg of butorphanol per kilogram of body weight (0.05 mg/lb) by intravenous injection. This is equivalent to 5 mL of TORPHADINE for each 1000 lbs body weight. The dose may be repeated within 3 to 4 hours but treatment should not exceed 48 hours. Pre-clinical model studies and clinical field trials in horses demonstrate that the analgesic effects of butorphanol tartrate injection are seen within 15 minutes following injection and persist for about 4 hours. Use within 6 months of first puncture.

Warnings

DO NOT USE IN HORSES INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. NOT FOR HUMAN USE.

Adverse Reactions

In clinical trials in horses, the most commonly observed side effect was slight ataxia which lasted 3 to 10 minutes. Marked ataxia was reported in 1.5% of the 327 horses treated. Mild sedation was reported in 9% of the horses. To report suspected adverse drug events, for technical assistance, or to obtain a copy of the Safety Data Sheet, contact Dechra Veterinary Products at (866) 933-2472. For additional information about adverse drug experience reporting for animal drugs, contact FDA at 1-888-FDA-VETS or http://www.fda.gov/reportanimalae

Description

TORPHADINE (butorphanol tartrate injection) is a totally synthetic, centrally acting, narcotic agonist-antagonist analgesic with potent antitussive activity. It is a member of the phenanthrene series. The chemical name is Morphinan-3, 14-diol, 17-(cyclobutylmethyl)-, (-)-, (S- (R*, R*))-2, 3-dihydroxybutanedioate (1:1) (salt). It is a white, crystalline, water soluble substance having a molecular weight of 477.55; its molecular formula is C 21 H 29 NO 2 ∙C 4 H 6 O 6 . Chemical Structure Each mL of TORPHADINE contains 10 mg butorphanol base (as butorphanol tartrate), 3.3 mg citric acid, 6.4 mg sodium citrate, 4.7 mg sodium chloride, and 0.1 mg benzethonium chloride, q.s. with water for injection. Chemical Structure

Other labels for this ingredient

These labels are also stored for the same active ingredient. They are not identical to the one reprinted above, and each is listed by product and set id rather than merged with it.

• Torbugesic ® (butorphanol tartrate injection), Zoetis Inc.. Set id f05b503c-135a-4884-9c89-53f14946f3e0.
• Covetrus Butorphanol Tartrate Injection CIV, Covetrus. Set id 10519e66-0186-40cd-987b-2f27301d6e46.
• Butorphanol CIV (butorphanol tartrate) Injection, ASPEN VETERINARY RESOURCES®, LTD. Set id 654caaed-f7bd-4f07-8d82-9bccf8b91205.
• Butorphic ® CIV (butorphanol tartrate injection), Cronus Pharma LLC. Set id 1c483aea-be01-4db5-9fac-c1d224a335e1.
• VET One Vetorphic TM CIV (butorphanol tartrate injection) Injection, MWI Animal Health. Set id 69ef8de1-605b-4155-8d17-1b34dd0d15e0.
• DOLOREX ® (butorphanol tartrate injection) CIV, Schering Corporation. Set id 3c274f98-94db-4674-ac28-69d683db4842.

FDA adverse event reports

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine publishes the adverse event reports it receives through openFDA. The counts below are the reports naming butorphanol as an active ingredient for each species this label names, as returned on 2026-09-16, coded by the VeDDRA reaction term the reporter chose. Reactions are counted per report, so one report can appear under several terms.

These are counts, not rates. Reporting is voluntary, the number of animals treated is not known, and a widely used product accumulates reports for that reason alone. A report records that an event followed a dose; it does not establish that the product caused it. The counts say nothing about how one product compares with another.