Pocket Pet · Rattus norvegicus var. domestica · typical adult weight 0.25–0.70 kg
Clomipramine is dosed at 16–32 mg/kg PO q12h in pet rats, per Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.799 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712; Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 — REQUIRES CLINICAL JUDGEMENT (retrieved 2026-08-19): Chain is faithful but terminates unsourced: "Mammals: Rats: 16-32 mg/kg p.o. q12h." — BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B: Exotic Pets, printed p.82 (corpus bsava_b 96), printed with NO reference (its only reference, a = Seibert 2004, supports the bird dose). No document supplies whether a TCA at 64 mg/kg/day is safe in a pet rat. — SOURCE CHAIN: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7, corpus p.799 — "Clomipramine 16-32 mg/kg PO q12h(122) — Rats". Superscript 122 resolves in Carpenter's own reference list to BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part B (Exotic Pets), which prints the same figure at corpus p.96 (printed p.82) — "Mammals: Rats: 16-32 mg/kg p.o. q12h". The two texts are ONE source, not independent corroboration. — PROVENANCE, read in full 2026-08-19: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part B (Exotic Pets), corpus p.96 (printed p.82), DOSES — "Mammals: Rats: 16-32 mg/kg p.o. q12h." The rat line carries NO reference marker; the only referenced line in that block is the avian one (Seibert et al. 2004, feather-picking in cockatoos). Carpenter's Table 9.7 row cites this same book (superscript 122), so the two texts are ONE lineage, not corroboration. — TRACE ATTEMPT 2026-08-19, result NEGATIVE: the figure could not be traced to any source beyond the formulary chain. Rat behavioural-pharmacology models use clomipramine at 0.6-50 mg/kg (schedule-induced polydipsia 5 mg/kg, Woods, Psychopharmacology 1993, ; forced swim 10-50 mg/kg; neonatal depression model 15 mg/kg SC q12h, Labra-Ruiz, Brain Sci 2025), but NO published behavioural model uses 16-32 mg/kg PO q12h. No second clinical pet-rat dose was found in the veterinary literature. — SEARCH LIMITS, stated so nobody repeats them: no BSAVA errata or corrigenda could be retrieved (bsava.com and bsavalibrary.com return HTTP 403 to anonymous fetch, so absence is not proof none exists); and Johnson-Delaney's Exotic Companion Medicine Handbook and Mayer & Donnelly's Clinical Veterinary Advisor: Birds and Exotic Pets returned catalogue pages only, so whether either prints a rat clomipramine dose is UNKNOWN rather than negative.. Clomipramine is used in pet rats for Behavioural (tricyclic antidepressant). Routes documented in pet rats: PO. A typical adult pet rat weighs 0.25–0.70 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Clomipramine in pet rats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Clomicalm, Anafranil
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 16–32 mg/kg | q12h | Behavioural (tricyclic antidepressant) | Weak | Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.799 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712; Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 — REQUIRES CLINICAL JUDGEMENT (retrieved 2026-08-19): Chain is faithful but terminates unsourced: "Mammals: Rats: 16-32 mg/kg p.o. q12h." — BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B: Exotic Pets, printed p.82 (corpus bsava_b 96), printed with NO reference (its only reference, a = Seibert 2004, supports the bird dose). No document supplies whether a TCA at 64 mg/kg/day is safe in a pet rat. — SOURCE CHAIN: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7, corpus p.799 — "Clomipramine 16-32 mg/kg PO q12h(122) — Rats". Superscript 122 resolves in Carpenter's own reference list to BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part B (Exotic Pets), which prints the same figure at corpus p.96 (printed p.82) — "Mammals: Rats: 16-32 mg/kg p.o. q12h". The two texts are ONE source, not independent corroboration. — PROVENANCE, read in full 2026-08-19: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part B (Exotic Pets), corpus p.96 (printed p.82), DOSES — "Mammals: Rats: 16-32 mg/kg p.o. q12h." The rat line carries NO reference marker; the only referenced line in that block is the avian one (Seibert et al. 2004, feather-picking in cockatoos). Carpenter's Table 9.7 row cites this same book (superscript 122), so the two texts are ONE lineage, not corroboration. — TRACE ATTEMPT 2026-08-19, result NEGATIVE: the figure could not be traced to any source beyond the formulary chain. Rat behavioural-pharmacology models use clomipramine at 0.6-50 mg/kg (schedule-induced polydipsia 5 mg/kg, Woods, Psychopharmacology 1993, ; forced swim 10-50 mg/kg; neonatal depression model 15 mg/kg SC q12h, Labra-Ruiz, Brain Sci 2025), but NO published behavioural model uses 16-32 mg/kg PO q12h. No second clinical pet-rat dose was found in the veterinary literature. — SEARCH LIMITS, stated so nobody repeats them: no BSAVA errata or corrigenda could be retrieved (bsava.com and bsavalibrary.com return HTTP 403 to anonymous fetch, so absence is not proof none exists); and Johnson-Delaney's Exotic Companion Medicine Handbook and Mayer & Donnelly's Clinical Veterinary Advisor: Birds and Exotic Pets returned catalogue pages only, so whether either prints a rat clomipramine dose is UNKNOWN rather than negative. |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16–32 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.96 | 16-32 mg/kg p.o. q12h |
| 16–32 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 9.7 | 16-32 mg/kg PO q12h |
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.
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your pet rat's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Potent serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. More serotonin-selective than amitriptyline. Also has anticholinergic properties.
FDA-approved for separation anxiety in dogs. 2-4 weeks for effect. GI upset, sedation, urinary retention. CONTRAINDICATED with MAOIs. Serotonin syndrome risk. Lower seizure threshold.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for pet rats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Clomipramine dose range in pet rats, with cited source references: PO 16–32 mg/kg q12h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Clomipramine in pet rats: PO.
Clomipramine is indicated in pet rats for: Behavioural (tricyclic antidepressant).
These are general warnings for Clomipramine across species; consult the pet rat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. FDA-approved for separation anxiety in dogs. 2-4 weeks for effect. GI upset, sedation, urinary retention. CONTRAINDICATED with MAOIs. Serotonin syndrome risk. Lower seizure threshold.
Why a species-specific page? Clomipramine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in pet rats — 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.