Tiletamine–Zolazepam: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Sedative / anaesthetic

Also known as

Zoletil, Telazol

Species with doses

Dogs, Cats, Horses, Pigs, Ferrets, Reptiles and Camelids

General dose range

5–10 mg/kg IM single dose (titrate) — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

IM, IV

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Chemical restraint / anaesthesia for diagnostic and minor surgical procedures
• Immobilisation of aggressive or fractious dogs and cats
• Wildlife, zoo and field anaesthesia
• Induction agent (often combined with alpha-2 agonists/opioids for balanced protocols)

Tiletamine–Zolazepam dose by species

Doses are per administration unless stated. mg/kg doses scale with body weight; per-animal, per-quarter and infusion-rate doses are shown as the reference writes them.

Dogs

• Chemical restraint / minor procedures: Doses are the COMBINED drug. Plumb’s p.1120 (Telazol label): diagnostic procedures 6.6–9.9 mg/kg IM; minor short procedures 9.9–13.2 mg/kg IM; supplements smaller than the initial dose, total not above 26.4 mg/kg; give atropine for hypersalivation. Papich 5e: 6.6–10 mg/kg IM minor procedures, 10–13 mg/kg short anaesthesia. With other sedatives much less is needed (3–10 mg/kg IM/SC or 2–5 mg/kg IV — Mama 2002).

Cats

• Restraint / minor procedures: Combined drug. Plumb’s p.1120 (Telazol label): dentistry, abscess treatment 9.7–11.9 mg/kg IM; lacerations, castration 10.6–12.5 mg/kg IM; total not above 72 mg/kg. Papich 5e: 10–12 mg/kg IM for minor procedures. Lower doses (3–10 mg/kg IM/SC) when combined with other sedatives (Mama 2002). Give atropine for hypersalivation.
• Surgical anaesthesia (OHE): Combined drug. Papich 5e: 14–16 mg/kg IM for surgery. Plumb’s p.1120 (label): ovariohysterectomy/onychectomy 14.3–15.8 mg/kg IM. Recovery can be prolonged.

Horses

• Field anaesthesia (with alpha-2 ± ketamine): Combined drug. Plumb’s p.1120 (Hubbell 1989): xylazine 1.1 mg/kg IV, then 5 min later Telazol 1.65–2.2 mg/kg IV. Never use without alpha-2 premedication. ARCI Class 2.

Pigs

• Anaesthesia/immobilisation: Combined drug. Papich 5e: pigs 3.5–6 mg/kg IM, preferably with a sedative/muscle relaxant — TKX: add 2.5 mL ketamine 100 mg/mL + 2.5 mL xylazine 100 mg/mL to one vial of powder and give 1 mL per 35–75 kg IM. Extra-label in food pigs — FARAD withdrawal.

Rabbits

• Not recommended: Plumb’s p.1120 (Burke 1999): not recommended in rabbits.

Ferrets

• Anaesthesia / minor surgery: Carpenter's 6th ed (Ferret table): 12–22 mg/kg IM (22 mg/kg for minor surgery; recovery prolonged and muscle relaxation poor at higher doses). Combos: with xylazine 3 mg/kg, or the reconstituted Telazol-dexmedetomidine-butorphanol mix 0.03 mL/kg IM. Plumb’s p.1120: 22 mg/kg IM with glycopyrrolate 0.01 mg/kg — rapid onset but slow, rough recovery (3–4 h) (Finkler 1999); Telazol 1.5 mg/kg + xylazine 1.5 mg/kg ± butorphanol 0.2 mg/kg IM (Williams 2000).

Reptiles

• Sedation / induction: Combined drug. Plumb’s p.1120: 3–10 mg/kg IM — lizards and snakes at the low end, chelonians higher (Innis 2003); large snakes 3 mg/kg 30–45 min before handling, crocodilians 4–8 mg/kg (Heard 1999); start at 5 mg/kg (Mehler 2009). Recovery can take days, especially in chelonians; monitor for apnoea.

Camelids

• Induction / immobilisation: Combined drug. Plumb’s p.1120: llamas 4.7–6 mg/kg IM (Wolff 2009); as an induction agent after xylazine 0.05–0.1 mg/kg, Telazol 2–4 mg/kg IV or IM (Haskell 2005).

Contraindications

Significant cardiac disease, severe hepatic or renal impairment (delayed recovery), raised intracranial/intra-ocular pressure, and pancreatic disease. Caution in cats with renal disease (tiletamine is renally handled and recovery can be rough). Known hypersensitivity. Not for sole use in major painful surgery without added analgesia.

Species-specific warnings

Cats: Recovery depends on renal clearance of tiletamine — avoid/lower dose in cats with renal disease (prolonged, rough recovery).

Dogs: Zolazepam outlasts tiletamine in dogs — recovery can be prolonged; provide quiet recovery and consider reversal of the benzodiazepine component if needed.

Adverse effects

• Rough or prolonged recovery (especially dogs — zolazepam outlasts tiletamine in cats and vice-versa in dogs)
• Tachycardia, increased blood pressure, salivation (dissociative)
• Respiratory depression / apnoea at high IV doses
• Muscle rigidity, twitching, emergence excitement
• Hyperthermia; increased ICP/IOP

Drug interactions

• Alpha-2 agonists (xylazine/medetomidine) and opioids: synergistic — markedly reduce required dose (standard balanced protocols)
• Other CNS depressants/anaesthetics: additive respiratory depression
• Chloramphenicol: prolongs recovery (enzyme inhibition)
• Flumazenil can reverse the zolazepam (benzodiazepine) component if needed

Pregnancy and lactation

Crosses the placenta; causes neonatal depression if used for caesarean. Use only when necessary and be ready to resuscitate neonates.

Monitoring

• Airway, respiratory rate/effort, SpO2 (apnoea risk at high IV dose)
• Heart rate, rhythm, blood pressure
• Temperature (hyperthermia, also hypothermia in long procedures)
• Recovery quality (provide a quiet, dark, padded space)
• Controlled-drug accountability

Toxicity and overdose

Overdose: profound CNS depression, respiratory depression/apnoea, hypotension, prolonged rough recovery, hyperthermia and seizures. The dissociative component is not reversible; only the zolazepam component can be partly antagonised (flumazenil).

Management: No complete antidote (tiletamine cannot be reversed). Support airway, ventilation and oxygenation; IV fluids and cardiovascular support; active cooling for hyperthermia; quiet, dim recovery to minimise emergence excitement. Flumazenil can reverse excessive zolazepam-related depression. Anticipate prolonged recovery in hepatic/renal compromise.

Clinical pearls

• Dose and think in COMBINED mg — both components are equal in the vial
• A field-anaesthesia and fractious-patient workhorse — reliable IM induction with good muscle relaxation
• Add an alpha-2 agonist/opioid to cut the dose, improve analgesia and smooth recovery (e.g. "TKX" in pigs)
• Recoveries can be rough and prolonged — recover in a quiet, dim, padded area and avoid stimulation
• Use cautiously in renal/hepatic patients (cats especially) where elimination — and recovery — is delayed

Mechanism of action

Tiletamine is an NMDA-receptor antagonist (dissociative anaesthesia — functional dissociation of the thalamocortical and limbic systems, with analgesia and catalepsy), analogous to ketamine. Zolazepam is a benzodiazepine that potentiates GABA-A inhibition, providing muscle relaxation and smoothing the dissociative recovery. The combination balances tiletamine's muscle rigidity and rough emergence.

Formulations and products

• Zoletil 50 lyophilised vial reconstituted per label = 50 mg/mL combined (25 mg tiletamine + 25 mg zolazepam per mL) — label-sourced (Virbac)
• Telazol / Zoletil 100 — 500 mg lyophilised vial + 5 mL sterile diluent = 100 mg/mL combined (50 + 50 mg/mL) (Plumb’s p.1121; Papich 5e p.904)
• Zoletil 50 / 100 (Virbac) — 25 + 25 mg/mL (Zoletil 50) / 50 + 50 mg/mL (Zoletil 100), Lyophilised powder + diluent
• Telazol (Zoetis) — 50 + 50 mg/mL reconstituted (100 mg/mL combined; 500 mg vial + 5 mL diluent — Plumb’s p.1121), Powder for injection

Storage

Lyophilised powder: store per label (often refrigerated once reconstituted, use within 4 days at 2–8 °C / 7 days refrigerated per product). SECURE controlled-drug storage and records.

Before you use this dose

Reference doses for veterinary professionals. Confirm the dose against the product label, the patient’s condition, current guidance and local regulations before use; the attending veterinarian remains responsible for every clinical decision.

Other sedatives and anaesthetics

• Propofol
• Romifidine
• Sevoflurane
• Thiopental Sodium
• Trazodone
• Xylazine

Frequently asked questions