Pet Safety / Compounds / Oxycodone

Is Oxycodone safe for dogs and cats?

High risk for pets

Dogs are frequently exposed to oxycodone through accidental ingestion of dropped tablets or access to medicine bottles. Oxycodone toxicosis in dogs produces sedation, respiratory depression, miosis, bradycardia, and at higher doses, respiratory arrest. Dogs metabolize opioids more rapidly than humans and may show lower duration of effect, but the acute respiratory depression remains life-threatening. Cats are more sensitive than dogs to opioid respiratory depression and have a longer duration of effect. Naloxone reversal is effective in dogs; multiple doses may be needed given differing half-lives. The high prevalence of opioid prescriptions in US households makes opioid ingestion a common reason for ASPCA APCC calls and veterinary emergency presentations.

What is oxycodone?

The IUPAC name is (4R,4aS,7aR,12bS)-4a-hydroxy-9-methoxy-3-methyl-2,4,5,6,7a,13-hexahydro-1H-4,12-methanobenzofuro[3,2-e]isoquinolin-7-one.

Also known as: (4R,4aS,7aR,12bS)-4a-hydroxy-9-methoxy-3-methyl-2,4,5,6,7a,13-hexahydro-1H-4,12-methanobenzofuro[3,2-e]isoquinolin-7-one, Dihydrone, Dihydrohydroxycodeinone, Dihydroxycodeinone.

IUPAC name
(4R,4aS,7aR,12bS)-4a-hydroxy-9-methoxy-3-methyl-2,4,5,6,7a,13-hexahydro-1H-4,12-methanobenzofuro[3,2-e]isoquinolin-7-one
CAS number
76-42-6
Molecular formula
C18H21NO4
Molecular weight
315.4 g/mol
SMILES
CN1CCC23C4C(=O)CCC2(C1CC5=C3C(=C(C=C5)OC)O4)O
PubChem CID
5284603

Risk for dogs

High risk

Dogs are frequently exposed to oxycodone through accidental ingestion of dropped tablets or access to medicine bottles. Oxycodone toxicosis in dogs produces sedation, respiratory depression, miosis, bradycardia, and at higher doses, respiratory arrest. Dogs metabolize opioids more rapidly than humans and may show lower duration of effect, but the acute respiratory depression remains life-threatening. Cats are more sensitive than dogs to opioid respiratory depression and have a longer duration of effect. Naloxone reversal is effective in dogs; multiple doses may be needed given differing half-lives. The high prevalence of opioid prescriptions in US households makes opioid ingestion a common reason for ASPCA APCC calls and veterinary emergency presentations.

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Oxycodone. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 0 positive / 1 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: negative, 0 positive / 1 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—skin sensitisation: in vivo (LLNA): Not likely to be sensitizing (score: low)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—eye irritation: in vivo: Studies Indicate No Significant Irritation (score: low)

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 oxycodone

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

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

  • Therapeutic alternatives (consult prescriber)
    Trade-offs: Drug-specific. Cannot substitute without medical guidance.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is oxycodone safe for pets?

Dogs are frequently exposed to oxycodone through accidental ingestion of dropped tablets or access to medicine bottles. Oxycodone toxicosis in dogs produces sedation, respiratory depression, miosis, bradycardia, and at higher doses, respiratory arrest. Dogs metabolize opioids more rapidly than humans and may show lower duration of effect, but the acute respiratory depression remains life-threatening. Cats are more sensitive than dogs to opioid respiratory depression and have a longer duration of effect. Naloxone reversal is effective in dogs; multiple doses may be needed given differing half-lives. The high prevalence of opioid prescriptions in US households makes opioid ingestion a common reason for ASPCA APCC calls and veterinary emergency presentations.

What products contain oxycodone?

Oxycodone appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

Why do regulators disagree about oxycodone?

Oxycodone has been classified by 4 agencies including EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Genetox, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, with differing conclusions. 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. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Oxycodone in the pets app

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

Open in pets View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. US DEA: Oxycodone — Schedule II Classification, OxyContin Abuse-Deterrent Reformulation (2010), Purdue Pharma Marketing History and Settlement, CYP3A4/2D6 Interactions, and Prescription Monitoring Program Data (2022) (2022) — regulatory
  2. US CDC: Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids — Oxycodone and Semisynthetic Opioids, Pediatric Accidental Ingestion, Naloxone Prescribing, and Opioid Epidemic Historical Overview (2022 Update) (2022) — regulatory
  3. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Opioid Analgesics in Dogs and Cats — Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Tramadol; Respiratory Depression Severity; Naloxone Veterinary Dosing; and APCC Case Data (2022) (2022) — regulatory

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 →