ExoticRx · exoticrx.com/drugs/ceftazidime
US brand names:Fortaz
Ceftazidime is dosed at 20 mg/kg IM q72h in ball pythons, per Lawrence K, Muggleton PW, Needham JR. Preliminary study on the use of ceftazidime, a broad spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic, in snakes. Res Vet Sci. 1984;36:16-20. doi:10.1016/s0034-5288(18)31994-5 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.213 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b). 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. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to PBPs. Broad-spectrum with excellent gram-negative coverage including Pseudomonas.
Must reconstitute before use. Monitor for hypersensitivity reactions. Adjust dose in renal impairment.
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog (Domestic) | IM | 25 mg/kg | q8h | Moderate | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted), Ceftazidime, printed p.220 (corpus p.247), DOGS item 2 — '25 mg/kg IM, SC every 8 hours'. Superscript 3 = Monfrinotti A, Ambros L, Prados AP, Kreil V, Rebuelto M. Pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime after intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous administration to dogs. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2010;33(2):204-207 (resolved in the Plumb's companion reference archive). — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| Cat (Domestic) | IM | 30 mg/kg | q8h | Moderate | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted), Ceftazidime, printed p.220 (corpus p.247), CATS — '30 mg/kg IM every 8 hours'. Superscript 4 = Albarellos GA, Ambros LA, Landoni MF. Pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime after intravenous and intramuscular administration to domestic cats. Vet J. 2008;178(2):238-243 (resolved in the Plumb's companion reference archive). — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, |
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