Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Tiletamine-Zolazepam is dosed at 12–22 mg/kg IM once in ferrets, per Payton AJ, Pick JR. Evaluation of a combination of tiletamine and zolazepam as an anesthetic for ferrets. Lab Anim Sci. 1989;39:243-246. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.942 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 11.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Ferrets). Verify against current literature before clinical use.
AnaesthesiaAnesthesiachemical restraintChemical restraint - source claims a surgical planeHeavy sedation to light anesthesiaImmobilizationpoor muscle relaxationprolonged recovery at higher dosesrarely indicatedSedationShort procedures
Mechanism of Action
Tiletamine is a dissociative NMDA antagonist providing anesthesia; zolazepam is a benzodiazepine providing muscle relaxation and reducing emergence reactions.
Side effects & warnings
Controlled substance (CIII). Prolonged recovery in cats (zolazepam component). Causes pain at IM injection site. Cannot titrate once given IM. Avoid in renal/hepatic disease.
Species with Tiletamine-Zolazepam dosing data (16 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Sample dosing (2 of 16 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 15 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.
· 127. Mitchell MA, Tully Jr.T.N, eds. Manual of Exotic Pet Practice, Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2009. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.788 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Rodents).
· 21. Hausmann KE, Doss GA, Mans C. Subcutaneous tiletamine-zolazepam immobilization and effect of flumazenil reversal in African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris). J Exot Pet Med. 2021;36:42-46. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.741 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8.5 (Chemical Immobilization Protocols for Hedgehogs.a,b,5,15,17,21-23,28a).
· 229. Millichamp NJ. Surgical techniques in reptiles. In: Jacobson ER, Kollias GV Jr, eds. Exotic Animals. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1988:49-74. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1413
· 232. Mitchell MA. Therapeutics. In: Mader DR, ed. Reptile Medicine and Surgery. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Saunders/Elsevier; 2006:631-664. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1413
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25. Heatley J. Hedgehogs. In: Mitchell MA, Tully TN Jr., eds. Manual of Exotic Pet Practice; Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2009:433-455. | 34. Johnson D. African pygmy hedgehogs. In: Meredith A, Johnson-Delaney C, eds. BSAVA Manual of Exotic Pets, 5th ed., British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Gloucester, UK; 2010:139-147. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.741 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8.5 (Chemical Immobilization Protocols for Hedgehogs.a,b,5,15,17,21-23,28a). — VOLUME CORRECTED 2026-08-07: this citation named BSAVA Part B (Exotic Pets), which does not contain Tiletamine-Zolazepam. BSAVA ships as two separate volumes and the drug is in BSAVA Part A (Canine & Feline); the reference is to that volume.
· 328. Millichamp NJ. Surgical techniques in reptiles. In: Jacobson ER, Kollias GV Jr., eds. Exotic Animals; Churchill Livingstone, New York, NY; 1988:49-74. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.250 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a).
· 48. Fehr M, Sassenburg L, Zwart P. Krankheiten der Heimtiere, 8th ed., Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.788 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Rodents).
· 518. Lawton MP.C. Anaesthesia. In: Beynon PH, Forbes NA, Lawton MP.C, eds. BSAVA Manual of Psittacine Birds; Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA; 1996:49- 55. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.440 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic/Sedative/Analgesic Agents Used in Birds.a,b).
· Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.250
· Fehr M, Sassenburg L, Zwart P. Krankheiten der Heimtiere, 8th ed., Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.788 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Rodents).
· Millichamp NJ. Surgical techniques in reptiles. In: Jacobson ER, Kollias GV Jr., eds. Exotic Animals; Churchill Livingstone, New York, NY; 1988:49-74. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.250 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a).
· Mitchell MA, Tully Jr. TN, eds. Manual of Exotic Pet Practice, Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2009. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.788 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.3 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Rodents).
· Payton AJ, Pick JR. Evaluation of a combination of tiletamine and zolazepam as an anesthetic for ferrets. Lab Anim Sci. 1989;39:243-246. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.942 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 11.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Ferrets).