Administration and dosage
Maximum effect is obtained within 10–15 minutes. Duration of the clinically useful effect is dose related (30–180 minutes). The dose can be repeated if necessary. When Dexdomitor is used as a pre-anaesthetic, the dose of the anaesthetic agents subsequently administered can be reduced by as much as 60%.
Dogs:
DEXDOMITOR produces sedation and analgesia when administered intramuscularly (IM) at a dose of 500 mcg/m2, or intravenously (IV) at a dose of 375 mcg/m2. Doses for preanesthesia are 125 or 375 mcg/m2 IM. The choice of preanesthetic dose depends on the duration and severity of the procedure, as well as the anesthetic regime. The following two tables may be used to determine the correct dexmedetomidine dosage. Note that the mcg/kg dosage decreases as body weight increases. For example, dogs weighing 2 kg are dosed at 28 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine IV, compared to dogs weighing 80 kg that are dosed at 9 mcg/kg. Due to the small volume of administration, accurate dosing is not possible in dogs weighing less than 2 kg.
Cats:
DEXDOMITOR produces sedation and analgesia when administered IM at a dose of 40 mcg/kg. The following table may be used to determine the correct dexmedetomidine dosage for cats based on body weight.