Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Dexmedetomidine is dosed at 0.01–0.04 mg/kg IM once in dogs, per Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.367, Dexmedetomidine monograph spanning p.367-371; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207. Dexmedetomidine is used in dogs for Field sedation for fractious dogs, Sedation, pre-anesthetic, CRI for sedation/analgesia, Noise aversion (Sileo). Routes documented in dogs: IM, IV, OTM. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 5 cited dose rules for Dexmedetomidine in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Dexdomitor, Sileo
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.01–0.04 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Field sedation for fractious dogs | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.367, Dexmedetomidine monograph spanning p.367-371; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| IM | 0.005–0.02 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation, pre-anesthetic | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.367, Dexmedetomidine monograph spanning p.367-371; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| IV | 0.0005–0.002 mg/kg/h | per hour (CRI) | During procedure | CRI for sedation/analgesia | Weak | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed., Part A: Canine and Feline, Dexmedetomidine, printed p.117 (corpus PDF p.133) — "Perioperative analgesia and rousable sedation: 1-2 ug/kg/h constant rate infusion" — plus Plumb's 10th ed. printed p.370 for the 0.5 ug/kg/hour DMLK rate and 0.72-1 ug/kg/hour post-op CRI. Plumb's ref 44 = Lervik A, Haga HA, Ranheim B, Spadavecchia C. The influence of a continuous rate infusion of dexmedetomidine on the nociceptive withdrawal reflex and temporal summation during isoflurane anaesthesia in dogs. Vet Anaesth Analg. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part A — Canine and Feline — ISBN 9781910443705, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443705; Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| IV | 0.001–0.005 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation, pre-anesthetic | Weak | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed., Part A - Canine and Feline, Appendix II: Protocols, 'Sedative combinations for dogs - Alpha-2 agonists as sole agents', book p.472 (corpus PDF p.488) — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part A — Canine and Feline — ISBN 9781910443705, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443705 |
| OTM | 0.125 mg/m2 | PRN | As needed during noise events | Noise aversion (Sileo) | Strong | SILEO - Dexmedetomidine Gel [US Product Label for Dogs]. Zoetis, Inc; 2017. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=8113cc85-cd1e-4edc-b933-51bdbd1d8b64 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.396 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.367, Dexmedetomidine monograph spanning p.367-371; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
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 (mcg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.133 | 2-10 μg (micrograms)/kg i.v., i.m, s.c. in combination with an opioid (use lower end of dose range i.v.). |
| 1 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.133 | 1 μg/kg i.v. can be given to manage emergence excitation during recovery from anaesthesia, |
| 9 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 | analgesia (range is 9 mcg/kg for small dogs to 3 mcg/kg for large dogs). |
One of the cited rules is a continuous-rate-infusion regimen: IV 0.0005–0.002 mg/kg/h per hour (CRI). CRI regimens are delivered as a continuous infusion rather than discrete doses — verify the rate against the cited source before use.
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Selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist. Produces dose-dependent sedation, analgesia, and muscle relaxation via CNS depression.
Profound cardiovascular effects: initial hypertension then hypotension, bradycardia. Avoid in animals with cardiac disease, hepatic or renal disease. Reversible with atipamezole. Vomiting common after IM injection.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Dexmedetomidine dose ranges in dogs, with cited source references: IM 0.01–0.04 mg/kg once; IM 0.005–0.02 mg/kg once; IV 0.0005–0.002 mg/kg/h per hour (CRI); IV 0.001–0.005 mg/kg once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Dexmedetomidine in dogs: IM, IV, OTM.
Cited course lengths for Dexmedetomidine in dogs include: Single dose; During procedure; As needed during noise events. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Dexmedetomidine is indicated in dogs for: Field sedation for fractious dogs, Sedation, pre-anesthetic, CRI for sedation/analgesia, Noise aversion (Sileo).
These are general warnings for Dexmedetomidine across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Profound cardiovascular effects: initial hypertension then hypotension, bradycardia. Avoid in animals with cardiac disease, hepatic or renal disease. Reversible with atipamezole. Vomiting common after IM injection.
Why a species-specific page? Dexmedetomidine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in dogs — 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.
| 3 |
| — |
| Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 |
| analgesia (range is 9 mcg/kg for small dogs to 3 mcg/kg for large dogs). |
| 17.6 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 | cal procedures. The per body weight dose range is 17.6 mcg/kg IV, and 23.5 mcg/kg |
| 23.5 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 | cal procedures. The per body weight dose range is 17.6 mcg/kg IV, and 23.5 mcg/kg |
| 10.6 | IM | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 | IM, for 10 kg dogs; and, 10.6 mcg/kg IV and 14 mcg/kg IM, for 46 kg dogs. |
| 14 | IM | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 | IM, for 10 kg dogs; and, 10.6 mcg/kg IV and 14 mcg/kg IM, for 46 kg dogs. |
| 15 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 | • Combination: Ketamine (3 mg/kg), dexmedetomidine (15 mcg/kg), and bu- |
| 40 | IM | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 | prenorphine (40 mcg/kg) can be combined for one single IM injection in dogs |
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.251 | • Combination: Ketamine (3 mg/kg), dexmedetomidine (15 mcg/kg), and bu- |
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.