Pet Safety / Compounds / Isotonitazene

Is Isotonitazene safe for dogs and cats?

Very high risk for pets

Extreme potency means trace environmental contamination (dropped powder) could be lethal to dogs.

What is isotonitazene?

The IUPAC name is 1-[2-[2-[2-[3-[[(1S,2R,3R,4S,5S)-4-[2-aminoethyl(methyl)amino]-2,3-dihydroxy-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-1-yl]methoxy]-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethyl]-3-methylpyrrolidine-2,5-dione.

Also known as: 14188-81-9, ZFY1ZBQ8AV, N,N-diethyl-2-[[4-(1-methylethoxy)phenyl]methyl]-5-nitro-1H-benzimidazole-1-ethanamine, DTXSID201126188.

IUPAC name
1-[2-[2-[2-[3-[[(1S,2R,3R,4S,5S)-4-[2-aminoethyl(methyl)amino]-2,3-dihydroxy-6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-1-yl]methoxy]-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethyl]-3-methylpyrrolidine-2,5-dione
CAS number
14188-81-9
Molecular formula
C25H40N4O11
Molecular weight
572.6 g/mol
SMILES
CCN(CC)CCn1c(/N=N/c2ccc(OC(C)C)cc2)c(-c2ccccc2)c2ccccc21
PubChem CID
167420779

Risk for dogs

Very high risk

Extreme potency means trace environmental contamination (dropped powder) could be lethal to dogs.

Risk for cats

Very high risk

Any exposure presumed lethal due to extreme potency and opioid sensitivity in cats.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Isotonitazene.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
DEA2020Schedule I controlled substance (emergency scheduling)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter isotonitazene

  • Illicit Drug
  • Research Chemical

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Isotonitazene:

  • Buprenorphine/naloxone (for OUD treatment)
    Trade-offs: Requires prescription and medical supervision. Partial agonist ceiling effect provides safety margin.
    Relative cost: Covered by insurance/Medicaid in most states

Frequently asked questions

Is isotonitazene safe for pets?

Extreme potency means trace environmental contamination (dropped powder) could be lethal to dogs.

See Isotonitazene in the pets app

Look up products containing isotonitazene, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in pets View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. —

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →