Tramadol side effects?

My cat has been having these seizure like episodes lately where she falls over repeatedly and kicks her legs and yowls. Her latest one was sat night and it scared me so bad and lasted so long that I got a friend to drive us to the emergency vets. Lots of tests later showed she has a mass on the right side of her belly directly near her spleen, which is swollen. So she is in pain. No serizures, just pain. I know this because she hides under the bed during these episodes.

Anyway, the first ultra sound they did didn't show exactly what that mass was, so I need to get another one done soon. Yes, it could be a tumor, yes, it could be cancer.

The vet sent us home with painkillers, and since that night at the vets I am pretty sure she hasn't slept, which is odd for my old girl because she slept all the time up until saturday. She paces, and lays in the middle of the living room floor most of the time now with huge alert eyes. Her pupils are huge. She is eating a lot, but not drinking much, I know this because the vet said she was dehydrated. She also hasn't pooped since friday. 

So just wondering if anyone has experience with their pet on this pain killer Tramadol? She is so anxious and possibly constipated. I took her off her pain killer tonight and am calling the vet tomorrow. 

Also, I just read on another forum that you shouldn't crush up Tramadol as it gives and intense rush/immediate high, not for the sustained pain relief like intended. This is interesting as its the only way I can give her meds is to crush it up and put it in her food. I told the vet this so wonder if this info is valid? Anyone know?

So very sorry about your kitty!  I hope everything turns out okay for her.

Tramadol is an opioid so constipation can be a side effect.  And you're correct, Tramadol should not be crushed. 

When my dog was still alive she was given Tramadol for pain, I think after a surgery (she was elderly and was starting to have various problems and had various surgeries, so I can't recall exactly).  She absolutely *hated* the Tramadol.  It made her crazy nervous and she would pace and pant, or lay down and pant like she had just run a race.  If it was given to me again for one of my kitties, I think I would ask if there was an alternative.

As far as the pill taking aspect, I have stubborn kitties who hate pills too, but because medications can be weird, I'd be afraid to crush a pill.  When I need to give them medication, I kneel down and straddle them, like riding a tiny horse, putting my feet together behind me so they can't back out.  I'm right handed, so I put the pill in my right hand, and with my left hand I gently hold the upper jaw with my thumb at one corner of the mouth and my middle finger at the other corner.  Then with the pill between my right thumb and index finger, I gently pull down the lower jaw with one of the other fingers on my right hand, and put the pill at the back of the tongue, being very careful not to put it back too far (i.e. not in their throat) and not to poke them.  Then I use both hands to very gently hold their mouth shut until I see them swallow a couple of times.  You have to be careful not to hold the mouth shut so tight that it is hard for them to swallow.  Once you've done this a few times, the whole procedure takes about thirty seconds.

They don't like it, but they forget all about it as soon as I let go, and it gets the job done without harming them.

How much Tramadol are they having you give?  I have 2 cats on it for arthritis.  One is 10# and can only handle 1/4 of a tablet twice a day, the other is 13# and he can handle 1/2 a tablet.  I tried 1/2 a tablet with DeeJay and it made her dysphoric, wide eyed, irritated, on edge etc.  So I cut back and it fixed the problem.  They have both been on it since February and have had recent bloodwork with no issues other than Kidney which my one cat already had (she is almost 15 years old.

Thanks for the replies guys!

I called the ER vet and they of course want to see her. I just don't have the funds right now!

If I give her tramadol I will not crush it anymore. Will try to administer it by mouth whole. I also have left over buprenorphine I can start giving her as a sub. The stuff made her drowsy but not alert. I would rather she sleeps than not!

She is on 5 mg of tramadol twice a day. And yeah I have been crushing it up. She is also on 50 mg of the antibiotic clavaseptin. I have to mix the two together in order to get her doses in food. The vet said that was ok but he also said it was ok to crush the tramadol!

I am at a loss. Will try reducing tramadol to once a day instead of every 12 hours and not crushing it. If that doesn't help I will start with the buprenorphine again I guess. I can't take her in for another 2 weeks

please please  PLEASE call around and see if a vet in your area will wait to get paid, or will arrange a payment plan. read the thread about if you cannot afford a vet. if your vet said she was dehydrated she should've been given iv fluids and/or you should have been given instructions on how to get water into her. obviously her sickness has made her stop drinking and in her condition she could die without ENOUGH water...very soon. Get some wet food and add water to it and pray she eats it. if @catwoman707  gives you advice please follow it.

the er vet was right, she needs IMMEDIATE attention

forget about the tramadol, you have bigger problems

Thank you... The ER vet gave her fluids and I have 3 water bowls around the apartment to help her drink more. She also eats wet food with water mixed into it. She loves it. But yes I will call tomorrow

When Sophie broke her leg she had some Tramadol (Although I couldn't seem to get her to take it since the pills would froth up in her mouth). She was later given some other opiate based pain killer because the metacam was causing her some problems, and that had the complete opposite effect than you'd expect on her too. I expected it'd make her drowsy and sleepy, but instead it made her very hyper. By this time though she was mostly healed up so the vet advised to stop giving her any pain relief as she probably wouldn't need it.  Anyway, I guess my point is that opiates can be a bit funny in cat's sometimes I guess. Maybe try asking your vet for a different type of pain relief (Although after what I've learned on here about Metacam, I'd advise to stay away from that)

For most cats Tramadol really isn't the best. It is fine I guess in some but the times I have seen it they are nervous weird and agitated. It also tastes horrible. Buprenex can be given in the buccal mucosa and absorbed through the lining of the gums or cheek. I think it works best for pain. But I wouldn't give it after the Tramadol. Especially if you have a cat with seizure history. JMHO

Yes I have heard nothing but terrible things about metacam. I skipped her tramadol dose last night and she slept last night! Is still sleeping right now. She didn't have seizures, they were just episodes of extreme pain in her belly.

littlefluffytab said:

Yes I have heard nothing but terrible things about metacam. I skipped her tramadol dose last night and she slept last night! Is still sleeping right now. She didn't have seizures, they were just episodes of extreme pain in her belly.

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First thing is, if her pain started suddenly, I would tend to think it is a fast growing mass, so time IS extremely important if it is something that can be removed, but in my opinion, each day it is delayed is allowing it to possibly metastasize, if it is cancer, which you do not want.

Personally, I would likely cut her dose in half, the foaming mouth simply means it tastes horrible. Cut in half, use a greenies pill pocket (dog sized since they are not cheap! Just tear a small piece off, just enough to cover the pill half) and drop it down her throat, followed by a small shot of syringed water into her cheek.

Fior additional water intake, grab some chicken baby food and dilute half a jar  50/50 with water and zap in microwave until good and warm.

Irresistable!! Once a day, half a jar with water is a great water supplement.

The hyper state your cat may have experienced was possibly something called Serotonin syndrome, a somewhat rare reaction to taking the Tramadol.  My cat, who can take Buprenex without any reaction (except pain relief) had that reaction when given Tramadol.  He stayed awake, eyes wide open, paced the hallway, preferred darkness, and did not eat for about 30 hours after he took the medication.  The emergency vet said to stop giving the medication and it would eventually leave his system.  I assume my cat is just sensitive in that manner, perhaps he already has a higher serotonin level, and that pushed him over the top. 

There are other drugs (like Mirtazapine) that can have a similar reaction, so I make sure I read before giving him any meds. 

I am very sorry your cat is in pain with the mass.  I hope you can get the vet care soon. 

Thank you Lcat4 for the info! That is pretty much how she was acting! Scary!

After not dosing her last night and today she is was back to normal! Normally alert and sleeping on my bed and in her cat bed. Not all paranoid looking. I am so mad at that vet I saw, we really liked him but when I told him I can only crush pills to get her to take them, he should have known you don't crush tramadol. This is something I am going to see if my regular vet knows as well.

Tomorrow I will put her back on that left over pain killer I have from a while ago.

In regards to the mass, she is 19 and has kidney issues and dental disease. I can only take her for an ultra sound to see what we are dealing with here and if i can keep her comfy. We will most likely have to put her down, of course not because we can't make this better, but only when she tells us it's time. I can not afford treatment and any surgery could kill her at such an old age. It's rough, I am going through a roller coaster of emotions like numbness, tears at the drop of a pin, anger and guilt. This mass is getting bigger and won't go away. Her spleen is swollen for whatever reason. Decisions will follow I'm sure after the ultrasound but at the same time maybe I can manage this somehow? Maybe it's not cancer or anything serious...

I want to thank everyone for their responses and insight. It is greatly appreciated!

I do understand your despair.  My 16 year old cat (that had the reaction I discussed above) also has cancer (bladder) and kidney issues. He was diagnosed almost two years ago with several cancer masses, via ultrasound, after many years of cystitis problems.  We did surgery, they couldn't remove the masses, but they extended the urethra via a stent, to open things up beyond the mass, allowing him to void the bladder.  (BTW, I was surprised at how well he did after surgery considering his age.  He was under for several hours, yet he showed no negative effects.)  We gave him NSAID's for many months, hoping to control inflammation and pain.  That decision was with the understanding that it could affect his kidneys, but we hoped for a balance between that and the cancer.  When his kidney values spiked, we stopped that medication.  His numbers have improved, back to where they were before treatment, but we have not restarted the meds.  We now give him sub-q fluids every other day and lots of love.  He's not doing as well these days, but I know he knows we have done everything we can.  We are watching his quality of life and enjoying our time together. 

I wish you both the best! 

I am sorry to hear about your little fur baby. It does sound like you have done everything you can. It's hard hey... Knowing they are sick and the time is coming. Thanks for sharing your story. I talked to my vet today and we decided it wouldn't be worth it to go through with the ultrasound. And just keep her comfy on pain meds.

I'm sorry, I just wanted to reply to your question, but I noticed it was from May of 2014.  Do you still have your cat?  This was about the side effects of Tramadol.  (lilltefluffytab)

I have experience with both Tramadol and Burpenex.

Both relieve the pain, apparently - and both made my cats .... groovy.

I guess what I mean is - they were very calm like they'd smoked a joint or got a buzz from beer.

Their eyes dialated much more with the Tramadol, though,

and were much longer to come out of their "trip".

That could simply have been a matter of dosing, or how quickly the meds absorb via the gut vs. the gum lining.

I was a bit scared the last time I used tramadol, for a bad bout of idiopathic cystitis that lasted 3 days.  She was looped out and loafing and eyes as black as coals.

But she stopped pacing and going in and out of the litter box, fretting over her pain.

So ... worth it.

But of course, for those whose cats pace and get hyper or nervous with it - not good.  I gather each cat has the potential to reaction one end of the spectrum or the other.

My cat, Simon, was just diagnosed with a spindle cell tumor on his rib cage.  He can not have surgery due to a heart murmur (grd. 2).  they gave him Tramadol liquid 2.5 ml to start with twice a day.  Have given it 4 times now and every single time he drools uncontrollably , and has a ton of saliva coming out of his mouth.  I have tried chasing it with some water, to no avail.  He smells it and won't let me near him.  Doctor wanted to switch to Gabapentin.  Seems like that is more for seizures and depression than for pain.  I have been using holistic approaches for about 20 years with fairly good results, so I will try some stuff with that.  I had asked about side effects before hand, and was only told  " oh, it may make him sleepy"---never said nothing about the extreme bitterness.  Was $60 bucks for a small bottle--now wasted cause he won't take it.   $700 plus only to be  told that basically, there's nothing we can do for him....

Hi. Just joined this site as my almost 20 year old Pooter is getting ready to start Tramadol for arthritis pain. She takes dexamethasone also which excludes some of the more common pain meds. We are having our compounded to use transdermally. While I live in a large city,  a compounding pharmacy in Phoenix is making it up as very few pharmacys compound Tramadol.  I am hoping to negate some of the side effects with transdermal administration but she is old and a very small cat, 6 1/2 pounds.  As an adult, she was only 7+ pounds . It won't arrive for a few more days so I will report back,

Also, it was a lot cheaper than I would have imagined. 6cc was about $54 and may last 2 months. Depends on the final dose.

Ok, so Pooter has been on 1/10th of a cc transdermally . The original prescription said 1/10th of a cc twice a day. Being very old (20 years) and very small (6.4 pounds) I decided to try 1/10th of a cc once a day in the morning. Today is the 4th day. I have noticed that she is moving better with noticeably less limp.  The good thing is she seems to be having no negative side effects on this minimal dose. No dilated eyes, no restlessness. So far so good. For those of you considering this, try the least dose possible and work up from there.