Reptile · Terrapene carolina · typical adult weight 0.30–0.60 kg
Alfaxalone is dosed at 10 mg/kg IV not stated in the cited source in eastern box turtles, per Knotek Z. Alfaxalone as an induction agent for anaesthesia in terrapins and tortoises. Vet Rec. 2014;175:327-329. doi:10.1136/vr.102486; Phillips BE, Posner LP, Lewbart GA, et al. Effects of alfaxalone administered intravenously to healthy yearling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) at three different doses. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2017;250:909-917. doi:10.2460/javma.250.8.909 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.234 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Invertebrate Medicine — ISBN 9781119569435, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119569435. Alfaxalone is used in eastern box turtles for Sedation for full physical examination. Routes documented in eastern box turtles: IV. A typical adult eastern box turtle weighs 0.30–0.60 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Alfaxalone in eastern box turtles, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Alfaxan
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| IV | 10 mg/kg | not stated in the cited source | Sedation for full physical examination | Anecdotal | Knotek Z. Alfaxalone as an induction agent for anaesthesia in terrapins and tortoises. Vet Rec. 2014;175:327-329. doi:10.1136/vr.102486; Phillips BE, Posner LP, Lewbart GA, et al. Effects of alfaxalone administered intravenously to healthy yearling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) at three different doses. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2017;250:909-917. doi:10.2460/javma.250.8.909 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.234 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles.a). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Invertebrate Medicine — ISBN 9781119569435, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119569435 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
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| 5–9 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.23 | 5-9 mg/kg i.v., intraosseous for induction (light sedation) up to 30 mg/kg i.m. for surgical anaest |
| 30 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.23 | /kg i.v., intraosseous for induction (light sedation) up to 30 mg/kg i.m. for surgical anaesthesia. Effects are dependent on species and temperature |
| 5 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.23 | 5 mg/kg i.v. d or 10 mg/kg i.m. (light sedation) up to 20 mg/kg i.m. for surgical anaesthesia |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your eastern box turtle's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Neuroactive steroid that modulates GABA-A receptors, producing dose-dependent sedation to general anesthesia.
Apnea with rapid IV injection — titrate slowly. No analgesic properties. Short shelf life once broached (use within 6 hours unless preserved formulation). Good safety profile in exotic species.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for eastern box turtles may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Alfaxalone dose range in eastern box turtles, with cited source references: IV 10 mg/kg not stated in the cited source. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Alfaxalone in eastern box turtles: IV.
Alfaxalone is indicated in eastern box turtles for: Sedation for full physical examination.
These are general warnings for Alfaxalone across species; consult the eastern box turtle dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Apnea with rapid IV injection — titrate slowly. No analgesic properties. Short shelf life once broached (use within 6 hours unless preserved formulation). Good safety profile in exotic species.
Why a species-specific page? Alfaxalone pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in eastern box turtles — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.
| 10 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.23 | 5 mg/kg i.v. d or 10 mg/kg i.m. (light sedation) up to 20 mg/kg i.m. for surgical anaesthesia |
| 20 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.23 | 5 mg/kg i.v. d or 10 mg/kg i.m. (light sedation) up to 20 mg/kg i.m. for surgical anaesthesia |
| 5 | IV | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 5 mg/kg IV |
| 5 | IN | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 5 mg/kg IN |
| 24 | ICE | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 24 mg/kg ICe |
| 3 | IV | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 3 mg/kg IV |
| 6–9 | IV | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 6-9 mg/kg IV, or 9- 15 mg/kg IM |
| 9–15 | IM | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 6-9 mg/kg IV, or 9- 15 mg/kg IM |
| 6–15 | IM | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 6-15 mg/kg IM, IV |
| 15 | IM | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 15 mg/kg IM |
| 3–10 | IV | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.5 | 3-10 mg/kg IV |
| 6–9 | IV | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 6-9 mg/kg IV, or 9-15 mg/kg IM182 Most species/good muscle relaxation; variable results; drug requires more evaluation; may have violent recovery;198don’t use within 10 days of DMS |
| 9–15 | IV | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 6-9 mg/kg IV, or 9-15 mg/kg IM182 Most species/good muscle relaxation; variable results; drug requires more evaluation; may have violent recovery;198don’t use within 10 days of DMS |
| 6–15 | IM | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 6-15 mg/kg IM, IV298 Most species |
| 15 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 15 mg/kg IM229 Lizards, chelonians/induction, 35-40 min; duration, 15-35 min; good muscle relaxation; variable results |
| 24 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 24 mg/kg ICe111 Chelonians (red-eared sliders)/surgical anesthesia with good relaxation |
| 3 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 3 mg/kg IV252 Crocodilians/induction, but unpredictable results |
| 5–25 | IM | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.4 | 5-25 mg/kg IM (Lennox, Proc ARAV, 2013, pp 66-68) Most species/recommend starting at lower dose (5-10 mg/kg) and titrating up |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.