Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Chloramphenicol is dosed at 40 mg/kg IM q24h in ball pythons, per Funk RS. A formulary for lizards, snakes, and crocodilians. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000;3:333-358. doi:10.1016/s1094-9194(17)30105-6 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.214 (2026-08-01).. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Binds to 50S ribosomal subunit, inhibiting peptidyl transferase and bacterial protein synthesis. Bacteriostatic.
Side effects & warnings
Human health hazard: wear gloves when handling (aplastic anemia risk in humans). May cause bone marrow suppression in cats. Monitor CBC during prolonged use.
Species with Chloramphenicol dosing data (21 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Backed by 14 published sources
· Brumbaugh G. Clinical pharmacology and the pediatric patient. Presented at: 45th Annual AAEP Convention; 1999. doi:10.1007/s004670050514; USPC. Veterinary Information- Appendix III. In: Drug Information for the Health Professional. Vol 2. United States Pharmacopeial Convention; 1990:2811-2860. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.275 (2026-08-01).
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, Table 4.1 antimicrobials continuation, corpus page 214, Chloramphenicol, 'Most species' row; superscript 142 = Funk RS. A formulary for lizards, snakes, and crocodilians. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000;3:333-358 10.1016/s1094-9194(17)30105-6
· Fehr M, Sassenburg L, Zwart P. Krankheiten der Heimtiere, 8th ed., Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; 2015. / 130. Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.771 (2026-08-01).
Sample dosing (2 of 21 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 12 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.
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· Funk RS. A formulary for lizards, snakes, and crocodilians. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000;3:333-358. / 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. doi:10.1016/s1094-9194(17)30105-6 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.214 (2026-08-01).
· Funk RS. A formulary for lizards, snakes, and crocodilians. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000;3:333-358. doi:10.1016/s1094-9194(17)30105-6 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.214 (2026-08-01).
· Hedley J. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary. Part B: Exotic Pets, 10th ed., British Small Animal Veterinary [Association] / 30. Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Orcu[t]t CJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.703 (2026-08-01).
· Hoeffer H. Antimicrobials in pet birds. In: Bonagura JD, ed. Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy XII: Small Animal Practice. W.B. Saunders; 1995:1278-1283. PMID: 42192709 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.275 (2026-08-01).
· Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.1380 (2026-08-01).
· Weese JS, Blondeau J, Boothe D, et al. International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID) guidelines for the diagnosis and management of bacterial urinary tract infections in dogs and cats. Vet J. 2019;247:8-25. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.02.008; Hillier A, Lloyd DH, Weese JS, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy of canine superficial bacterial folliculitis (antimicrobial guidelines working group of the international society for companion animal infectious diseases). Vet Dermatol. 2014;25(3):163-e43. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.274 (2026-08-01).