Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Diltiazem is dosed at 0.5–1.5 mg/kg PO q8h (IR) or q12-24h (ER) in dogs, per Kittleson M. Chapt 29: Drugs used in treatment of cardiac arrhythmias- Drugs used to treat tachyarrythmias - part 6. Veterinary Information Network. [ref 15]; Rush J. Treatment of life-threatening arrhythmias. Presented at: IVECCS; 2005 [ref 16] — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.425 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.396, Diltiazem monograph spanning p.396-398; 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. Diltiazem is used in dogs for Supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation. Routes documented in dogs: PO. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Diltiazem in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Cardizem, Dilacor
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.5–1.5 mg/kg | q8h (IR) or q12-24h (ER) | Long-term | Supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation |
| Kittleson M. Chapt 29: Drugs used in treatment of cardiac arrhythmias- Drugs used to treat tachyarrythmias - part 6. Veterinary Information Network. [ref 15]; Rush J. Treatment of life-threatening arrhythmias. Presented at: IVECCS; 2005 [ref 16] — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.425 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.396, Diltiazem monograph spanning p.396-398; 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | • Acute renal failure: 0.2 mg/kg IV (slowly), followed by 3-5 mcg/kg/min CRI. |
| 1–8 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | CRI: 0.15-0.25 mg/kg IV over 2 minutes, then 1-8 mcg/kg/min. |
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 |
Need the exact dose for your patient?
These ranges are per kg. Enter your dog's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Blocks L-type calcium channels in cardiac and smooth muscle. Slows AV conduction, reduces heart rate, and reduces myocardial oxygen demand.
Monitor heart rate and blood pressure. Drug of choice for feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Bradycardia, hypotension, AV block possible. Do not combine with beta-blockers without caution.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Diltiazem dose range in dogs, with cited source references: PO 0.5–1.5 mg/kg q8h (IR) or q12-24h (ER). Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Diltiazem in dogs: PO.
Cited course lengths for Diltiazem in dogs include: Long-term. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Diltiazem is indicated in dogs for: Supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation.
These are general warnings for Diltiazem across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Monitor heart rate and blood pressure. Drug of choice for feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Bradycardia, hypotension, AV block possible. Do not combine with beta-blockers without caution.
Why a species-specific page? Diltiazem 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.
| PO |
| BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.142 |
| min, 0.5-2.0 mg/kg p.o. q8h for -MR products or up to 3.0 mg/kg p.o. q12h for sustained/ extended release preparations (little evidence established with |
| 10 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.142 | Long-acting preparations have been used at a dose of 10 mg/kg p.o. q24h but there is little experience with such formulations in animals. In refractory |
| 4 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.142 | ractory supraventricular tachyarrhythmias doses up to 4 mg/kg p.o. q8h have been reported |
| 0.05–0.25 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.142 | 0.05-0.25 mg/kg i.v. over 1-2 min, 0.5-2.0 mg/kg p.o. q8h for -MR products or up to 3.0 mg/kg p.o. |
| 0.5–2 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.142 | 0.05-0.25 mg/kg i.v. over 1-2 min, 0.5-2.0 mg/kg p.o. q8h for -MR products or up to 3.0 mg/kg p.o. q12h for sustained/ extended rele |
| 3 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | zem (3 mg/kg q12h PO) plus digoxin (0.005 mg/kg q12h, PO) has been used. |
| 0.005 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | zem (3 mg/kg q12h PO) plus digoxin (0.005 mg/kg q12h, PO) has been used. |
| 0.05–0.25 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | • Atrial fibrillation: 0.05-0.25 mg/kg IV administered q5min to effect. |
| 0.25 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | • Supraventricular tachycardia: 0.25 mg/kg over 2 min IV (repeat if necessary). |
| 0.25 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | First, inject 0.25 mg/kg, then wait 20 minutes for response before repeating. |
| 0.15–0.25 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | CRI: 0.15-0.25 mg/kg IV over 2 minutes, then 1-8 mcg/kg/min. |
| 0.2 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | • Acute renal failure: 0.2 mg/kg IV (slowly), followed by 3-5 mcg/kg/min CRI. |
| 5 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | 5 mg/kg q12h PO have been used as monotherapy, or a combination of diltia- |
| 0.5–1.5 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.273 | • For most uses: 0.5-1.5 mg/kg q8h PO. For atrial fibrillation, doses as high as |
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.