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Active substance

Methadone

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Opioid (full µ agonist; NMDA antagonist). No registration in force in Georgia. Forms: solution.

Controlled substance. For use only by a veterinarian, as the law prescribes.
Dose and use

Doses

Each dose comes with its source. Check the label of the product you use.

Active substance Methadone
Dose calculatorCalculates the active-substance amount; it is not a prescription.
PatientSpecies and weight will be filled in automatically in other calculators.
Selected dose
Dose Species Indication Route Frequency Source
0.5–1 mg/kg Dog Premedication Intravenous / Intramuscular / Subcutaneous once, as premedication
VMD SPC 2023
Official product label (SPC), VMD, UK
Approved by the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) as part of the product's authorisation. It applies to that product as authorised there.
Comfortan 10 mg/ml solution for injection for dogs and cats - Summary of Product Characteristics
UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate, 2023
0.5–1 mg/kg Dog Analgesia Intravenous / Intramuscular as needed; effect lasts about 4 hours
VMD SPC 2023
Official product label (SPC), VMD, UK
Approved by the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) as part of the product's authorisation. It applies to that product as authorised there.
Comfortan 10 mg/ml solution for injection for dogs and cats - Summary of Product Characteristics
UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate, 2023
0.5–1 mg/kg Dog Analgesia Subcutaneous as needed
VMD SPC 2023
Official product label (SPC), VMD, UK
Approved by the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) as part of the product's authorisation. It applies to that product as authorised there.
Comfortan 10 mg/ml solution for injection for dogs and cats - Summary of Product Characteristics
UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate, 2023
0.3–0.6 mg/kg Cat Premedication Intramuscular once, as premedication
VMD SPC 2023
Official product label (SPC), VMD, UK
Approved by the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) as part of the product's authorisation. It applies to that product as authorised there.
Comfortan 10 mg/ml solution for injection for dogs and cats - Summary of Product Characteristics
UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate, 2023
0.3–0.6 mg/kg Cat Analgesia Intramuscular as needed; effect lasts about 4 hours; repeat cautiously
VMD SPC 2023
Official product label (SPC), VMD, UK
Approved by the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) as part of the product's authorisation. It applies to that product as authorised there.
Comfortan 10 mg/ml solution for injection for dogs and cats - Summary of Product Characteristics
UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate, 2023
Before use

Safety information

Known Contraindications

  • Critical
    Do not use methadone in animals with advanced respiratory failure. In less severe respiratory impairment, use cautiously and monitor ventilation closely.
  • Critical
    Do not use methadone in animals with severe hepatic dysfunction. In milder impairment, reduced metabolism may prolong or intensify its effects.
  • Critical
    Do not use methadone in animals with severe renal dysfunction. Less severe renal impairment still increases risk and requires cautious dosing and monitoring.
  • Critical
    Known hypersensitivity to methadone or any excipient, including methyl- or propyl parahydroxybenzoate, is a contraindication.
  • Warning
    Methadone carries greater risk in cardiac dysfunction or shock and commonly causes bradycardia in dogs. Use only with careful cardiovascular assessment and monitoring.
  • Warning
    Methadone crosses the placenta and is not recommended during pregnancy.
  • Warning
    Methadone is not recommended during lactation.
    Sources: Comfortan SPC
  • Caution
    Monitor heart and respiratory rates. In cats, doses above 2 mg/kg can cause salivation, agitation, hindlimb paralysis, and seizures; 4 mg/kg may be fatal. For reversal, an initial naloxone dose of 0.1 mg/kg intravenously is recommended. Do not mix in the same syringe with injectable meloxicam.
  • Caution
    Safety of methadone has not been established in dogs younger than 8 weeks or cats younger than 5 months. Safety has also not been fully evaluated in clinically compromised cats.

Known Drug Interactions

  • Major warning Methadone + Buprenorphine
    Do not combine buprenorphine with morphine or other opioid analgesics, including fentanyl, pethidine, methadone, or butorphanol, because their analgesic effects may be unpredictable or antagonistic.
    Recommendation: Do not administer concurrently; buprenorphine may antagonize a mu-opioid agonist.
  • Minor warning Methadone + Acepromazine
    Methadone can potentiate analgesics, central nervous system depressants, and drugs that cause respiratory depression. Lower doses may be needed when these medicines are combined.
    Recommendation: Reduce doses when used in combination; monitor heart rate and respiration.
    Sources: Comfortan SPC
  • Minor warning Methadone + Dexmedetomidine
    Methadone can potentiate analgesics, central nervous system depressants, and drugs that cause respiratory depression. Lower doses may be needed when these medicines are combined.
    Recommendation: Reduce doses when used in combination; monitor heart rate and respiration.
    Sources: Comfortan SPC
  • Minor warning Methadone + Diazepam
    Methadone can potentiate analgesics, central nervous system depressants, and drugs that cause respiratory depression. Lower doses may be needed when these medicines are combined.
    Recommendation: Reduce doses when used in combination; monitor heart rate and respiration.
    Sources: Comfortan SPC
  • Minor warning Methadone + Ketamine
    Methadone can potentiate analgesics, central nervous system depressants, and drugs that cause respiratory depression. Lower doses may be needed when these medicines are combined.
    Recommendation: Reduce doses when used in combination; monitor heart rate and respiration.
    Sources: Comfortan SPC
  • Minor warning Methadone + Medetomidine
    Methadone can potentiate analgesics, central nervous system depressants, and drugs that cause respiratory depression. Lower doses may be needed when these medicines are combined.
    Recommendation: Reduce doses when used in combination; monitor heart rate and respiration.
    Sources: Comfortan SPC
  • Minor warning Methadone + Midazolam
    Methadone can potentiate analgesics, central nervous system depressants, and drugs that cause respiratory depression. Lower doses may be needed when these medicines are combined.
    Recommendation: Reduce doses when used in combination; monitor heart rate and respiration.
    Sources: Comfortan SPC
  • Minor warning Methadone + Propofol
    Methadone can potentiate analgesics, central nervous system depressants, and drugs that cause respiratory depression. Lower doses may be needed when these medicines are combined.
    Recommendation: Reduce doses when used in combination; monitor heart rate and respiration.
    Sources: Comfortan SPC
Latin name
Methadone
Georgian name
მეთადონი
Authorisation status
Authorised veterinary medicine
An authorised veterinary medicine containing this substance exists. Whether a particular use is on-label depends on the species and the indication - see each dose rule.
Registered in Georgia
0 of 1 forms
Products
Comfortan
Controlled in Georgia
Yes
Listed under the Georgian narcotics law (Annex 1) or the Minister's Order No. 22/n. The legal text is in Georgian.
Verified on: 16 Oct 2026
All forms and registration1

Registration in Georgia and abroad: the register, number, validity and source are behind (i).

Comfortan 10 mg/ml, Solution

solution for injection for dogs and cats
vetman assessment
vetman’s 10-point assessment brings together a product’s regulatory credibility, clinical efficacy, safety and practicality. Cost-effectiveness is assessed only when reliable data are available. It is informational and does not replace a veterinarian’s clinical judgment for an individual patient.
Dog Analgesia and anaesthetic premedication/neuroleptanalgesia with exact Comfortan 10 mg/ml
7.9/10
Good
vetman assessment

Comfortan

10 mg/ml, solution for injection for dogs and cats
Assessed clinical scopeDog · Analgesia and anaesthetic premedication/neuroleptanalgesia with exact Comfortan 10 mg/ml · IV,IM,SC
Care settingVeterinary perioperative care with controlled-drug custody, multimodal analgesia, formal pain scoring and cardiorespiratory monitoring
vetman score 7.9/10 Good
Evidence confidence: High Georgia: No · Verified on 22 Oct 2026

A strongly evidenced, exactly authorised full-opioid option with useful route flexibility; high clinical value depends on controlled custody, dose accuracy, monitoring and response-led multimodal rescue.

Regulatory and scientific credibility9.0/10

Exact current GB and European authorisations identify Comfortan, Eurovet, 10 mg/ml methadone hydrochloride and the target-species routes; independent trials and current guidance are applicable.

Clinical efficacy8.5/10

The broad exact analgesia/premedication label, WSAVA guidance and multiple randomised canine trials support meaningful perioperative efficacy, with response-led rescue still required.

Safety and tolerability6.5/10

A well-characterised monitored full mu-opioid, but respiratory depression, bradycardia, organ-dysfunction restrictions, reproductive and handler exposure risks, and additive CNS depression are material.

Clinical practicality7.5/10

SC/IM/IV flexibility, rapid IM/IV onset and a measurable 0.05–0.1 ml/kg volume suit hospital use; accurate syringes, controlled-drug governance and repeated monitoring add workload.

Full-course cost-effectiveness-

The catalogue does not resolve one authorised vial size and current exact Georgian price/availability is not verified; cost is excluded.

Important safety and use flags

  • Dose is expressed as methadone HYDROCHLORIDE: Comfortan 10 mg/ml equals 8.9 mg/ml methadone base. Do not switch salt/base units or copy a levomethadone regimen.
  • This score is for exact Comfortan/Eurovet. Synthadon, Insistor, Methadyne and human methadone injections are separate products; matching concentration does not establish formulation equivalence.
  • Dog routes are SC, IM or IV at 0.05–0.1 ml/kg. IV onset is within about 10 minutes, IM about 15 minutes and SC can take about 1 hour; route changes the expected timing.
  • Response and duration vary; analgesia after IM/IV is about four hours. Reassess with a validated pain scale and provide multimodal rescue rather than repeating automatically. Greyhounds may require different dose selection.
  • Monitor respiratory rate/effort, oxygenation, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, sedation and recovery. Maintain airway/ventilation and cardiovascular rescue capability; naloxone should be immediately accessible.
  • Do not use in advanced respiratory failure or severe hepatic/renal dysfunction. Risk rises with shock or cardiac, renal, hepatic or respiratory impairment and requires an individual benefit-risk decision.
  • Other analgesics, sedatives, anaesthetics and respiratory depressants potentiate methadone; reduce protocol doses as indicated and monitor. Partial agonist/antagonist opioids can make analgesia unpredictable.
  • Safety is not established in dogs under 8 weeks or cats under 5 months. Comfortan crosses the placenta and is not recommended during pregnancy or lactation; pregnant staff must not administer it.
  • Comfortan is a high-risk controlled opioid. Follow the applicable jurisdiction for lawful procurement, secure storage, access/use logs, stock reconciliation, witnessed destruction and incident reporting.
  • Protect from light and use within 28 days after first opening. Mix only where compatibility is established: 1:5 with 0.9% sodium chloride, Ringer solution or 5% glucose; do not assume syringe compatibility with other medicines.
Assessment sources
  1. VMD SPC 20232023
  2. Comfortan VMD record2026
  3. Comfortan UPD record2026
  4. Comfortan controlled-drug record2026
  5. WSAVA pain guideline 20222022
  6. Canine methadone-buprenorphine RCT2018
  7. Canine SC methadone RCT2024
  8. GE Comfortan register audit2026
  9. FDA Comfortan absence audit2026
Assessed: 22 Oct 2026The overall score uses 25/25/25/15/10 weights. An unassessed price is excluded and the remaining weights are proportionally renormalised.
Cat Analgesia and anaesthetic premedication/neuroleptanalgesia with exact Comfortan 10 mg/ml
7.7/10
Good
vetman assessment

Comfortan

10 mg/ml, solution for injection for dogs and cats
Assessed clinical scopeCat · Analgesia and anaesthetic premedication/neuroleptanalgesia with exact Comfortan 10 mg/ml · Intramuscular
Care settingVeterinary perioperative care with controlled-drug custody, multimodal analgesia, formal pain scoring and cardiorespiratory monitoring
vetman score 7.7/10 Good
Evidence confidence: High Georgia: No · Verified on 22 Oct 2026

A strongly evidenced authorised IM feline opioid with useful perioperative efficacy; the value depends on exact dosing, objective pain scoring, careful repeat use and active respiratory/behavioural monitoring.

Regulatory and scientific credibility9.0/10

Exact current GB and European authorisations identify Comfortan, Eurovet, 10 mg/ml methadone hydrochloride and the target-species routes; independent trials and current guidance are applicable.

Clinical efficacy8.5/10

The exact label and several blinded/randomised feline surgical trials support effective IM perioperative analgesia, including advantages over butorphanol and in some protocols buprenorphine.

Safety and tolerability6.0/10

Established monitored use is offset by excitation with repeat dosing, incomplete evidence in compromised cats and a consequential overdose margin: signs above 2 mg/kg and possible fatality at 4 mg/kg.

Clinical practicality7.0/10

IM-only administration and 0.03–0.06 ml/kg are workable in hospital, but tiny volumes, restraint, objective reassessment and controlled-drug governance require discipline.

Full-course cost-effectiveness-

The catalogue does not resolve one authorised vial size and current exact Georgian price/availability is not verified; cost is excluded.

Important safety and use flags

  • Dose is expressed as methadone HYDROCHLORIDE: Comfortan 10 mg/ml equals 8.9 mg/ml methadone base. Do not switch salt/base units or copy a levomethadone regimen.
  • This score is for exact Comfortan/Eurovet. Synthadon, Insistor, Methadyne and human methadone injections are separate products; matching concentration does not establish formulation equivalence.
  • Cat route is IM only at 0.03–0.06 ml/kg. Do not transfer feline SC/IV use from studies or other products into this exact label.
  • Mydriasis persists after analgesia has ended and is not an efficacy marker. Reassess pain objectively; repeat dosing can cause excitation and must be used with care.
  • Monitor respiratory rate/effort, oxygenation, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, sedation and recovery. Maintain airway/ventilation and cardiovascular rescue capability; naloxone should be immediately accessible.
  • Do not use in advanced respiratory failure or severe hepatic/renal dysfunction. Risk rises with shock or cardiac, renal, hepatic or respiratory impairment and requires an individual benefit-risk decision.
  • Other analgesics, sedatives, anaesthetics and respiratory depressants potentiate methadone; reduce protocol doses as indicated and monitor. Partial agonist/antagonist opioids can make analgesia unpredictable.
  • Safety is not established in dogs under 8 weeks or cats under 5 months. Comfortan crosses the placenta and is not recommended during pregnancy or lactation; pregnant staff must not administer it.
  • Comfortan is a high-risk controlled opioid. Follow the applicable jurisdiction for lawful procurement, secure storage, access/use logs, stock reconciliation, witnessed destruction and incident reporting.
  • Protect from light and use within 28 days after first opening. Mix only where compatibility is established: 1:5 with 0.9% sodium chloride, Ringer solution or 5% glucose; do not assume syringe compatibility with other medicines.
Assessment sources
  1. VMD SPC 20232023
  2. Comfortan VMD record2026
  3. Comfortan UPD record2026
  4. Comfortan controlled-drug record2026
  5. WSAVA pain guideline 20222022
  6. Feline methadone regulatory trial2013
  7. Feline methadone-butorphanol RCT2013
  8. Feline QUAD methadone RCT2019
  9. GE Comfortan register audit2026
  10. FDA Comfortan absence audit2026
Assessed: 22 Oct 2026The overall score uses 25/25/25/15/10 weights. An unassessed price is excluded and the remaining weights are proportionally renormalised.
Composition / strength
Methadone10 mg/ml
Formulation Type
Solution
Administration route
Intravenous, Intramuscular, Subcutaneous
Manufacturer
Eurovet Animal Health B.V. · Netherlands
Registration
Georgia No
Not registered in Georgia
Veterinary (National Food Agency)
Verified on: 22 Oct 2026
 EU Yes, veterinary
№ NL/V/0150/001
Verified on: 22 Oct 2026
 UK Yes, veterinary
№ Vm 16849/5005
Verified on: 22 Oct 2026
 US No
Verified on: 22 Oct 2026
Controlled in Georgia
Yes
Listed under the Georgian narcotics law (Annex 1) or the Minister's Order No. 22/n. The legal text is in Georgian.
Verified on: 16 Oct 2026
Information not fully verified Exact Comfortan contains 10 mg/ml methadone hydrochloride, equivalent to 8.9 mg/ml methadone. Dogs: 0.5–1 mg/kg = 0.05–0.1 ml/kg SC, IM or IV. Cats: 0.3–0.6 mg/kg = 0.03–0.06 ml/kg IM only. Select dose against the whole anaesthetic/analgesic protocol and reassess efficacy rather than repeating automatically.

Professional reference for veterinary professionals. Not advertising and not a substitute for the product label/SPC.

For veterinary professionals only. It does not replace clinical judgement or the product label; check the dose in the official label (SPC). vetman is not liable for harm caused by using this information.

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This reference is still growing. Missing a product? Let us know. · Report an error or request an addition · Updated: 23 Oct 2026

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