Climazolam

Climazolam is a potent benzodiazepine which, following IV administration, has a very rapid onset of effect. It has a marketing authorization in Switzerland for use in dogs, but has been used in a wide variety of animals including cattle, sheep, horses and dogs (Rehm & Schatzmann, 1984). It is used as part of anaesthetic combinations. It is particularly effective for use with ketamine and, in horses, this combination has been used by constant rate infusion (CRI) to produce total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA), the climazolam being reversed with sarmazenil (see below) at the end of surgery to produce a rapid recovery (BettschartWolfensberger et al., 1996). Climazolam (1.0–1.5 mg/kg) has also been used in combination with fentanyl (0.005–0.015 mg/kg) for anaesthesia in the dog (Erhardt et al., 1986).

Climazolam (Ro21-3982) was introduced under licence as a veterinary medicine by the Swiss Pharmaceutical company Gr?ub under the tradename Climasol. Climazolam is a benzodiazepine, specifically an imidazobenzodiazepine derivative developed by Hoffman-LaRoche. It is similar in structure to midazolam and diclazepam and is used in veterinary medicine for anesthetizing animals.

Climazolam: an injectable benzodiazepine approved in Europe for anesthesia in dogs and cats, for example, as premedication with an opioid or for induction with ketamine.
Climazolam is a possible alternative to midazolam, but its use will require a relaxing of the import regulations by Health Canada and of the minimum practice standards of the OMVQ (which encourages the use of approved drugs), since it is not approved in Canada.
If climazolam were approved in Canada (it is approved in Europe for dogs and cats), it could replace diazepam or midazolam in combination with ketamine or other induction agents.

Climazolam is an imidazobenzodiazepine derivative used in veterinary medicine as an anesthetic.

Dose (mg/kg): 0.5–2.0 IM, IV
Comments: In combination with an opioid or anaesthetic agent