Cat · Felis catus · typical adult weight 2.50–7.00 kg
Atropine is dosed at 0.02–0.04 mg/kg IM once in cats, per Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.141 (2026-08-01).. Atropine is used in cats for Pre-anesthetic anticholinergic, CPR protocol, Bradycardia, organophosphate toxicity, Pre-anesthetic. Routes documented in cats: IM, IV, IV or IM, SC. A typical adult cat weighs 2.50–7.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 4 cited dose rules for Atropine in cats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.02–0.04 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Pre-anesthetic anticholinergic | Strong | Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.141 (2026-08-01). |
| IV | 0.04 mg/kg | q3-5min | During CPR | CPR protocol |
| Fletcher DJ, Boller M, Brainard BM, et al. RECOVER evidence and knowledge gap analysis on veterinary CPR. Part 7: Clinical guidelines. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2012;22. doi:10.1111/j.1476-4431.2012.00751.x — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.141 (2026-08-01). |
| IV or IM | 0.02–0.04 mg/kg | once (preanaesthetic; no repeat interval printed) | As needed | Bradycardia, organophosphate toxicity | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th ed, Atropine, printed p.114 (corpus PDF p.141). Page NOTE: "FDA approval has not been required for atropine products in animals. All dosages should be considered extra-label." |
| SC | 0.02–0.04 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Pre-anesthetic | Strong | Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th Ed (2016), PDF p.90 (printed p.62), Atropine Sulfate - Small Animal Dosage, Cats |
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Competitive muscarinic receptor antagonist. Increases heart rate (vagolytic), reduces secretions, and mydriasis.
Tachycardia, ileus, urinary retention. Increases myocardial oxygen demand. Rabbits have high atropinase activity — may need higher/more frequent doses or use glycopyrrolate instead.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for cats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Atropine dose ranges in cats, with cited source references: IM 0.02–0.04 mg/kg once; IV 0.04 mg/kg q3-5min; IV or IM 0.02–0.04 mg/kg once (preanaesthetic; no repeat interval printed); SC 0.02–0.04 mg/kg once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Atropine in cats: IM, IV, IV or IM, SC.
Cited course lengths for Atropine in cats include: Single dose; During CPR; As needed. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Atropine is indicated in cats for: Pre-anesthetic anticholinergic, CPR protocol, Bradycardia, organophosphate toxicity, Pre-anesthetic.
These are general warnings for Atropine across species; consult the cat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Tachycardia, ileus, urinary retention. Increases myocardial oxygen demand. Rabbits have high atropinase activity — may need higher/more frequent doses or use glycopyrrolate instead.
Why a species-specific page? Atropine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in cats — 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.