Top 5 Injectable Sedative Premedications for Dogs in Canada (2025) — Veterinary-Reviewed Guide to Safer, Reversible Sedation: Which One Is Right for Your Patient?

Dexdomitor (dexmedetomidine) is presented as the best-in-class injectable sedative premedication for dogs because of its potent alpha-2 agonist sedation with reliable analgesic-sparing effects and the availability of a specific antagonist (atipamezole) to rapidly reverse sedation. Compared with products on this list, Dexdomitor delivers deeper, dose-sparing premedication than phenothiazines like Atravet and avoids the prolonged, rough recoveries sometimes seen with dissociatives such as Telazol, though it requires cardiovascular monitoring and can be more costly than simple tranquilizers.

Dolorex is positioned as a market-leading opioid-class premed adjunct that provides reliable perioperative analgesia and moderate sedation, making it a valuable complement to primary sedatives in dogs. Financially and technically, Dolorex often reduces the need for higher doses of more expensive sedatives or induction agents (for example minimizing alfaxalone or Telazol requirements), but it is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions and provides less profound sedation on its own than Dexdomitor.

Alfaxan Multidose (alfaxalone) is an ultrashort-acting injectable anaesthetic that also performs well as a sedative premed in dogs when titrated, offering rapid induction and smooth, predictable recoveries without the cumulative cardiorespiratory depression seen with some alpha-2 agonists. Compared with Telazol, Alfaxan typically gives cleaner recoveries and, versus Dexdomitor, does not provide analgesia so it is frequently paired with opioids like Dolorex; the multidose presentation can also offer cost efficiencies in high-volume practices.

Telazol (tiletamine-zolazepam) is a market leader for situations requiring deep chemical restraint — it produces rapid, profound immobilization which is especially useful for aggressive or fractious dogs where IV access is limited. Technically it outperforms simple tranquilizers like Atravet for immobilization but has downsides including heavier respiratory and cardiovascular depression and often longer, less smooth recoveries than Alfaxan or Dexdomitor, and is typically regulated as a controlled agent.