Dexmedetomidine for Rabbit
Pocket Pet · Oryctolagus cuniculus · typical adult weight 1.00–5.00 kg
Dexmedetomidine is used in rabbit for Sedation, pre-anesthetic. Routes documented in rabbit: IM. A typical adult rabbit weighs 1.00–5.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Dexmedetomidine in rabbit, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Trade names: Dexdomitor, Sileo
Dose ranges
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.01–0.05 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation, pre-anesthetic | Moderate | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed |
Need the exact dose for your patient?
These ranges are per kg. Enter your rabbit's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Mechanism of action
Selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist. Produces dose-dependent sedation, analgesia, and muscle relaxation via CNS depression.
Side effects & warnings
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 rabbit may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Other Anesthetic drugs with rabbit dosing
Dexmedetomidine dosing in other species
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 rabbit — 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.