Sedation in Bearded Dragons
Reptile · Pogona vitticeps · typical adult weight 0.38–0.51 kg
11 cited drugs treat Sedation in bearded dragons: Acepromazine, Alfaxalone, Butorphanol Injectable, Dexmedetomidine, Diazepam, Ketamine, Medetomidine, Midazolam, Midazolam Injectable, Tiletamine-Zolazepam Exotic, Xylazine.
Pharmacologic sedation for diagnostic procedures, minor surgical interventions, and pre-anaesthetic premedi-cation. α2 agonists (dexmedetomidine, medetomidine), phenothiazines (acepromazine), and benzodiazepines (midazolam) form the backbone of veterinary protocols.
The overview above describes Sedation across species; the citations below are the ExoticRx dose rules scoped to bearded dragons — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.
Acepromazine(PromAce, Atravet)
Sedative| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.05–0.25 mg/kg | not printed (preanaesthetic) | Preanaesthetic / sedation (can be used with ketamine) | Weak | 243. Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, Sladky KK, et al. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, eds. Exotic Animal Formulary, 5th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2018:81-166. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.234 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a). Located 2026-08-05: the only table covering this species in which the drug's own row prints this dose. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 |
Alfaxalone(Alfaxan)
Anesthetic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM, SC, IV | 10–20 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation | Moderate | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 4.7 (Preferred Injectable Sedation Protocols Used in Select Reptiles.301,400,430), LIZARDS section: "Alfaxalone | 10-30 mg/kg SC, IM, IV | Rapid sedation if administered IV, higher doses can […]". The served 10-20 mg/kg is a conservative subset of that printed lizard range. This copy is an ebook conversion with no printed pagination, so the TABLE - not the page - is the citable location. WITHDRAWN CLAIM: the previous citation asserted the figure was located in Table 4.5, but the only 10-20 mg/kg IM alfaxalone row in Table 4.5 is scoped to Horsfield's tortoises (males only) and red-eared slider turtles - chelonians, not any lizard. |
Butorphanol Injectable(Torbugesic, Torbutrol Injectable)
Neurological| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.4–1 mg/kg | once, preanesthetic/sedation | As needed | Sedation and preanaesthetic | Extrapolated | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed., Table 4.6 (Analgesic including antiinflammatory agents used in reptiles), p.252; corroborated Mader's 3rd ed. p.1414 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.6 (Analgesic (Including Antiinflammatory) Agents Usedin Reptiles). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
Dexmedetomidine(Dexdomitor, Sileo)
Anesthetic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.05–0.1 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation | Extrapolated | Schumacher J, Mans C. Anesthesia. In: Mader DR, Divers SJ, eds. Current Therapy in Reptile Medicine and Surgery. St. Louis: WB Saunders; 2014:134-153. — Verified against Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.550 (2026-08-01). — SOURCE EDITION: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
Diazepam(Valium)
Sedative| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM, IV | 0.2–2 mg/kg | not stated in source | Sedation / muscle relaxation (used in conjunction with ketamine) | Weak | 420. Schumacher J, Yelen T. Anesthesia and analgesia. In: Mader DR, eds. Reptile Medicine and Surgery, 2nd ed., Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2006:442-452. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.238 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
Ketamine(Ketaset, Vetalar)
Anesthetic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 20–40 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation, anesthesia | Moderate | Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.241 (2026-08-01). — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
Medetomidine
Uncategorized| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.1–0.15 mg/kg | not printed | Sedation (alpha-2 agonist; poor immobilisation alone) | Weak | 63. Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.245 — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
Midazolam(Versed)
Anesthetic| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 1–2 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation | Moderate | Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.246 (2026-08-01). — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
Midazolam Injectable(Versed)
Neurological| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 1–2 mg/kg | IM, repeat as needed | As needed | Sedation, seizures | Moderate | Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.246 (2026-08-01). — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
Tiletamine-Zolazepam Exotic(Telazol Exotic)
Miscellaneous| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 5–10 mg/kg | once | Single dose; prolonged recovery (4-24+ hours) in reptiles | Chemical restraint/Sedation | Moderate | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 4.5, Table 4.7 (the served figure is printed in each; all lie in the chapter covering this species); located 2026-08-06. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 — CORRECTION (wave 3, two readers): Table 4.7 does NOT carry this row. Table 4.7's only tiletamine/zolazepam entry is 5-15 mg/kg SC, IM printed under the CROCODILIANS heading and it governs no lizard. The citable location is Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles), where the printed row is "5-10 mg/kg IM | Most species". |
Xylazine(Rompun, AnaSed)
Sedative| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM, IV | 0.1–1.25 mg/kg | not printed | Preanaesthetic for ketamine / sedation | Weak | 63. Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.250 — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. |
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice. Verify against current literature before clinical use.