Abstract Xylazine is an α2 adrenoceptor agonist approved for use in veterinary medicine as an analgesic and sedative. However, the recent use of xylazine as adulterant with opioids has created a public health emergency due to an increased number of addiction-related deaths and adverse effects. As a result, xylazine’s pharmacological profile has been revisited, and it has been found to act as a full agonist at κ-opioid receptors. Because increased urine output is a well-established effect of κ-op