What routes can Diazepam be administered by?

Available routes: PO, IV, RECTAL.

Is Diazepam a controlled substance?

Yes — Diazepam is a controlled substance under US federal law.

Diazepam

US brand names:Valium

Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.

Diazepam is dosed at 0.5–1.5 mg/kg IM As needed in african grey parrots, per Delk K. Clinical management of seizures in avian patients. J Exot Pet Med. 2012;21(2):132-139. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2012.02.014 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.472 (2026-08-01).. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Sedative

Routes

POIVRECTAL

Indications

Administered 10 minanticonvulsantanxiolysisAppetite stimulationAt-home seizure emergencymuscle relaxationNeonatal seizures pre-anesthetic sedationSedativeSeizures Status epilepticus Status epilepticus (emergency)tetanus adjunct

Mechanism of Action

Enhances GABA-A receptor activity by binding the benzodiazepine site, increasing chloride ion conductance, producing sedation, anxiolysis, muscle relaxation, and anticonvulsant effects.

Side effects & warnings

HEPATOTOXICITY in cats (oral use — acute hepatic necrosis, sometimes fatal). Short duration in dogs (rapid redistribution). Avoid IM (erratic absorption). Reversible with flumazenil. Controlled substance.

Species with Diazepam dosing data (13 dose rules)

African Grey Parrot Cat (Domestic)Cattle (Beef/Dairy)Dog (Domestic)Horse (Equine)Sugar Glider Swine (Pig)Zebra Finch

Species references:All African Grey Parrot drugs All Cat (Domestic) drugs All Cattle (Beef/Dairy) drugs All Dog (Domestic) drugs All Horse (Equine) drugs All Sugar Glider drugs All Swine (Pig) drugs All Zebra Finch drugs

Controlled Substance

Controlled substance in the US

Controlled-drug status and schedules differ by country — check your local scheduling rules.

Evidence levels across 13 dose rules

Weak×4Strong×5Extrapolated×1Moderate×3

Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.

Backed by 12 published sources

· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th Ed, Part A - Canine and Feline (2020), printed p.121 (corpus PDF p.137), 'Cats: Emergency management of seizures including status epilepticus'
· Chang C-C, et al. Delayed evoked potentials in zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) under midazolam-butorphanol-isoflurane anesthesia. PeerJ. 2019;7:e7937. DOI 10.7717/peerj.7937; PMID 31660277; PMCID PMC6815651. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6815651/
· Chen K-H, et al. Delayed evoked potentials in zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) under midazolam-butorphanol-isoflurane anesthesia. PeerJ. 2019;7:e7937. DOI 10.7717/peerj.7937; PMID 31660277; PMCID PMC6815651. URL:

Sample dosing (2 of 13 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 8 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.

Species	Route	Dose	Frequency	Evidence	Source
Dog (Domestic)	IV	0.5–1 mg/kg	q10 min, up to 3 doses	Strong	Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th ed., Diazepam, book p.380 (corpus PDF p.407), DOGS - cluster seizures or status epilepticus (extra-label), IV (bolus)
Dog (Domestic)	RECTAL	0.5–2 mg/kg	at seizure onset; up to 3 times in 24 hours	Strong	Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th ed., Diazepam, book p.380 (corpus PDF p.407), DOGS - cluster seizures or status epilepticus (extra-label), Rectal

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