Cat · Felis catus · typical adult weight 2.50–7.00 kg
Alprazolam is dosed at 0.0125–0.025 mg/kg PO q12h in cats, per Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, corpus p.49 = print p.21, Small Animal Dosage - Cats: '0.125 mg per cat q12h PO (half of 0.25-mg tablet) or 0.0125-0.025 mg/kg q12h PO, and up to q8h.' — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.49' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.21; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.21. — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855. Alprazolam is used in cats for Anxiety, urine spraying. Routes documented in cats: PO. A typical adult cat weighs 2.50–7.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Alprazolam in cats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Xanax
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.0125–0.025 mg/kg | q12h | Variable | Anxiety, urine spraying |
| Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, corpus p.49 = print p.21, Small Animal Dosage - Cats: '0.125 mg per cat q12h PO (half of 0.25-mg tablet) or 0.0125-0.025 mg/kg q12h PO, and up to q8h.' — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.49' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.21; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.21. — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.125–0.25 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.29 | For anxiolysis an initial dose in the range of 0.125-0.25 mg/kg p.o. as needed up to twice a day is suggested, but doses as low as 0.25 mg/cat p.o. q8-12 |
| 0.6 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.29 | but doses as low as 0.25 mg/cat p.o. q8-12h and as high as 0.6 mg/kg p.o. have been reported. After initial medication, the dose should be titrated down to th |
| 0.0125–0.025 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.49 | • 0.125 mg per cat q12h PO (half of 0.25-mg tablet) or 0.0125-0.025 mg/kg |
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Enhances GABA-A receptor activity by binding benzodiazepine site, increasing chloride conductance. Anxiolytic, sedative, and anticonvulsant.
DEA Schedule IV. Paradoxical excitement possible in some animals. Hepatic metabolism. Dependence with chronic use — taper to discontinue. Cats: idiosyncratic hepatic necrosis (rare).
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for cats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Alprazolam dose range in cats, with cited source references: PO 0.0125–0.025 mg/kg q12h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Alprazolam in cats: PO.
Cited course lengths for Alprazolam in cats include: Variable. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Alprazolam is indicated in cats for: Anxiety, urine spraying.
These are general warnings for Alprazolam across species; consult the cat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. DEA Schedule IV. Paradoxical excitement possible in some animals. Hepatic metabolism. Dependence with chronic use — taper to discontinue. Cats: idiosyncratic hepatic necrosis (rare).
Why a species-specific page? Alprazolam pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in cats — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.