Is Cefazolin a controlled substance?

Cefazolin is not federally scheduled in the US. Controlled-drug status differs by country — verify your local rules.

What are the side effects of Cefazolin?

Reported side effects, adverse reactions, and contraindications for Cefazolin: Perioperative use common. Adjust dose in renal impairment. Pain at IM injection site.

Cefazolin

US brand names:Ancef, Kefzol

Calculate dosage

Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.

Cefazolin is dosed at 20 mg/kg IV no interval printed — single perioperative dose in rabbits, per Carpenter JW. Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed (2023), Table 10.1 'Antimicrobial Agents Used in Rabbits', p.841; superscript 71 = Fisher PG. Personal communication; 2020. Corroborated by Graham/Doss/Beaufrere, Exotic Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, 1st ed (2021), p.279 (rabbit GI obstruction): 'Cefazolin: 20 mg/kg IV' — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Rabbits.a). Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Antibiotic

Routes

IVIM

Indications

Bacterial infection Bacterial infection (first-generation cephalosporin)perioperative antibioticPerioperative prophylaxisSurgical prophylaxisSusceptible bacterial infection

Mechanism of Action

Inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis. First-generation cephalosporin with excellent gram-positive coverage. Commonly used for surgical prophylaxis.

Side effects & warnings

Perioperative use common. Adjust dose in renal impairment. Pain at IM injection site.

Species with Cefazolin dosing data (9 dose rules)

African Grey Parrot Cat (Domestic)Dog (Domestic)Eastern Box Turtle Mouse Rabbit (Domestic)Red-eared Slider Russian Tortoise Sulcata Tortoise

Species references:All African Grey Parrot drugs All Cat (Domestic) drugs All Dog (Domestic) drugs All Eastern Box Turtle drugs All Mouse drugs All Rabbit (Domestic) drugs All Red-eared Slider drugs

Evidence levels across 9 dose rules

Strong×2Weak×5Moderate×1Anecdotal×1

Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.

Sample dosing (2 of 9 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 9 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.

Species	Route	Dose	Frequency	Evidence	Source
Cat (Domestic)	IV	22 mg/kg	q2h intraoperative	Strong	Plumb's 10th ed printed p.201, Cefazolin monograph spanning p.201-202.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
Dog (Domestic)	IV	22 mg/kg	q2h intraoperative	Strong	MarcellinLittle DJ, Papich MG, Richardson DC, DeYoung DJ. Pharmacokinetic model for cefazolin distribution during total hip arthroplasty in dogs. Am J Vet Res. 1996;57:720-723. doi:10.2460/ajvr.1996.57.05.720 — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.201, Cefazolin monograph spanning p.201-202. — Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed, Cefazolin monograph, printed p.202, DOGS/CATS: "Surgical prophylaxis (extra-label): 20 - 22 mg/kg IV slowly 30 to 60 minutes prior to incision and […]"; Dosages NOTES on the same page: "IV injections should be given slowly (ie, over 3 to 5 minutes)." Perisurgical q2h corroborated in Papich MG, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, printed p.120: "Perisurgical use: 22 mg/kg IV every 2 hours during surgery."

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Backed by 8 published sourcesShow

· 243. Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, Sladky KK, et al. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, eds. Exotic Animal Formulary, 5th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2018:81-166. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.212 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b).
· 264. Plumb DC. Cefazolin. In: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook. 8th ed. Ames: Wiley-Blackwell; 2015:230-232. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1401 — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.202, Cefazolin monograph spanning p.201-202.
· Carpenter JW. Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed (2023), Table 10.1 'Antimicrobial Agents Used in Rabbits', p.841; superscript 71 = Fisher PG. Personal communication; 2020. Corroborated by Graham/Doss/Beaufrere, Exotic Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, 1st ed (2021), p.279 (rabbit GI obstruction): 'Cefazolin: 20 mg/kg IV' — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Rabbits.a).
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 5.1. NOTE: the served figure was matched against the table as a whole, not against this drug's own row, so confirm the number on the page before relying on it.

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Calculate Dosage for Cefazolin