Pocket Pet · Oryctolagus cuniculus · typical adult weight 1.00–5.00 kg
Atropine is dosed at 0.05–0.1 mg/kg IM once in rabbits, per Fitzgerald BC, Dias S, Martorell J. Cardiovascular drugs in avian, small animal and reptile medicine. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract: Therapeutics. 2018;21:399-442. doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2018.01.015 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.871 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.8 (Cardiovascular Agents Used in Rabbits). 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. Atropine is used in rabbits for Pre-anesthetic (rabbits without atropinase), Bradycardia, organophosphate toxicity. Routes documented in rabbits: IM, SC. A typical adult rabbit weighs 1.00–5.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Atropine in rabbits, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.05–0.1 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Pre-anesthetic (rabbits without atropinase) | Moderate | Fitzgerald BC, Dias S, Martorell J. Cardiovascular drugs in avian, small animal and reptile medicine. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract: Therapeutics. 2018;21:399-442. doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2018.01.015 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.871 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.8 (Cardiovascular Agents Used in Rabbits). 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 |
| SC | 0.1–0.5 mg/kg | q15min | As needed | Bradycardia, organophosphate toxicity | Moderate | Morissey JM, Carpenter JW. Appendix: Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, OrcuttCJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. / 241. van Zeeland YR.A, Schoemaker NJ. Diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in small mammals. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.871 (2026-08-01). — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9780323484350, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323484350 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1–0.5 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.44 | 0.1-0.5 mg/kg i.m., i.v., endogenous atropinase levels may make repeat injections q10-15min necess |
| 0.1–0.2 | SC | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part B (Exotic Pets)p.44 | injections q10-15min necessary; Chinchillas, Guinea pigs: 0.1-0.2 mg/kg s.c., i.m. |
| 10 | SC | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 10.4 | 10 mg/kg SC q20min |
| 0.1–0.5 |
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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 rabbits may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Atropine dose ranges in rabbits, with cited source references: IM 0.05–0.1 mg/kg once; SC 0.1–0.5 mg/kg q15min. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Atropine in rabbits: IM, SC.
Cited course lengths for Atropine in rabbits include: Single dose; As needed. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Atropine is indicated in rabbits for: Pre-anesthetic (rabbits without atropinase), Bradycardia, organophosphate toxicity.
These are general warnings for Atropine across species; consult the rabbit 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 rabbits — 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.
| SC |
| Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 10.4 |
| - 0.1-0.5 mg/kg SC, IM 0.1-3 mg/kg SC |
| 0.1–0.5 | IV | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 10.22 | 0.1-0.5 mg/kg IV |
| 0.05–3 | IM | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 10.8 | 0.05-3 mg/kg IM 0.1-0.5 mg/kg SC, IM |
| 0.1–3 | SC | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 10.4 | - 0.1-0.5 mg/kg SC, IM 0.1-3 mg/kg SC |
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.