Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Flumazenil is dosed at 0.01–0.02 mg/kg IV not stated in source in rabbits, per Cantwell S. Ferret, rabbit, and rodent anesthesia. In: Heard D, eds. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2001;4:169-191. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.4 (Chemical Restraint/Sedative/Anesthetic/Analgesic Agents Used in Rabbits.a,b). Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Competitive benzodiazepine receptor antagonist at GABA-A receptor. Reverses sedation, respiratory depression, and anxiolysis from benzodiazepines.
Side effects & warnings
Short duration (45-60 min) — resedation risk with long-acting benzodiazepines. May precipitate seizures in benzodiazepine-dependent patients or when benzos given for seizure control.
Species with Flumazenil dosing data (20 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Sample dosing (2 of 20 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 20 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.
Grimm KA, Lamont LA, Tranquilli WJ, Greene SA, Robertson SA. Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia: The Fifth Edition of Lumb and Jones. 5th ed. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell; 2015. — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.537, Flumazenil monograph spanning p.537-538.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
Grimm KA, Lamont LA, Tranquilli WJ, Greene SA, Robertson SA. Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia: The Fifth Edition of Lumb and Jones. 5th ed. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell; 2015. — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.537, Flumazenil monograph spanning p.537-538.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
· 22. Hawkins S, Doss G, Mans C. Evaluation of subcutaneous alfaxalone-midazolam and ketamine-midazolam sedation protocols in African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2020;257:820-825. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.739 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8.4 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Hedgehogs).
· 295. Mans C. Sedation of pet birds. J Exot Pet Med. 2014;23:152-157. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.239 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a).
· 574. Mans C, Guzman DS, Lahner LL, et al. Sedation and physiologic response to manual restraint after intranasal administration of midazolam in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis). J Avian Med Surg. 2012;26:130-139. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.450 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic/Sedative/Analgesic Agents Used in Birds.a,b).
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6. Abou-Madi N. Avian anesthesia. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2001;4:147-167. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.450 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic/Sedative/Analgesic Agents Used in Birds.a,b).
· 720. Prather JF. Rapid and reliable sedation induced by diazepam and antagonized by flumazenil in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). J Avian Med Surg. 2012;26:76-84. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.450 doi:10.1647/2011-030.1 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic/Sedative/Analgesic Agents Used in Birds.a,b).
· Bressan TF, Sobreira T, Carregaro AB. Use of rodent sedation tests to evaluate midazolam and flumazenil in green iguanas (Iguana iguana). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2019;58(6):810-816. doi:10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000005https://europepmc.org/article/MED/31645234 — CORROBORATED 2026-08-06 by independent literature: Use of Rodent Sedation Tests to Evaluate Midazolam and Flumazenil in Green Iguanas ( Iguana iguana ). (Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science: JAALAS, 2019). doi:10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000005. https://doi.org/10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000005. The paper reports this drug at this dose in this species: "used. All 10 iguanas were tested under 4 conditions, as follows: MS, midazolam (2 mg/kg IM) […]". This is a second source alongside the book already cited; it corroborates the figure and does not by itself establish that the dose is correct.
· Cantwell S. Ferret, rabbit, and rodent anesthesia. In: Heard D, eds. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2001;4:169-191. doi:10.1016/s1094-9194(17)30056-7 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.4 (Chemical Restraint/Sedative/Anesthetic/Analgesic Agents Used in Rabbits.a,b).
· Graham, Doss & Beaufrere, Exotic Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, p.90
· Grimm KA, Lamont LA, Tranquilli WJ, Greene SA, Robertson SA. Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia: The Fifth Edition of Lumb and Jones. 5th ed. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell; 2015. — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.537, Flumazenil monograph spanning p.537-538.
· Henke J, Baumgartner C, Roltgen I, et al. Anaesthesia with midazolam/medetomidine/fentanyl in chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) compared to anaesthesia with xylazine/ketamine and medetomidine/ketamine. J Vet Med A Physiol Pathol Clin Med. 2004;51:259-264. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.784 doi:10.1111/j.1439-0442.2004.00632.x — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Rodents).
· Johnson-Delaney CA. Personal observation; 2020. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Sugar Gliders).
· Mans C. Sedation of pet birds. J Exot Pet Med. 2014;23:152-157. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2014.02.009 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a).
· Mans C. Sedation of pet birds. J Exot Pet Med. 2014;23:152-157. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.239 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a).
· Vesal N, Zare P. Clinical evaluation of intranasal benzodiazepines, alpha-agonists and their antagonists in canaries. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2006;33:143-148. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.450 doi:10.1111/j.1467-2995.2005.00244.x — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic/Sedative/Analgesic Agents Used in Birds.a,b).