Reptile · Python regius · typical adult weight 1.00–2.00 kg
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). — 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. Chloramphenicol is used in ball pythons for Meningitis or encephalitis caused by susceptible organisms (reserve drug, public health concern), Bacterial infections. Routes documented in ball pythons: IM, SC. A typical adult ball python weighs 1.00–2.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Chloramphenicol in ball pythons, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 40 mg/kg | q24h | 7-14 days |
| Meningitis or encephalitis caused by susceptible organisms (reserve drug, public health concern) |
| Extrapolated |
| 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). — 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 |
| SC | 40 mg/kg | q24h | 7-14 days | Bacterial infections | Extrapolated | 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). — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929 |
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 (%) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.1 | mg/kg topically (applied as Chlorsig 1% ointme [Sigma], which also contains paraffin and wool -30 mg/L (10-30 ppm) as continuous bath replace fresh daily for up to 30 days52 mg/L b |
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.1 | 40 mg/kg PO, SC, IM q24h, or 20 mg/kg PO, SC, IM q12h |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your ball python's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Binds to 50S ribosomal subunit, inhibiting peptidyl transferase and bacterial protein synthesis. Bacteriostatic.
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-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for ball pythons may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Chloramphenicol dose ranges in ball pythons, with cited source references: IM 40 mg/kg q24h; SC 40 mg/kg q24h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Chloramphenicol in ball pythons: IM, SC.
Cited course lengths for Chloramphenicol in ball pythons include: 7-14 days. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Chloramphenicol is indicated in ball pythons for: Meningitis or encephalitis caused by susceptible organisms (reserve drug, public health concern), Bacterial infections.
These are general warnings for Chloramphenicol across species; consult the ball python dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Human health hazard: wear gloves when handling (aplastic anemia risk in humans). May cause bone marrow suppression in cats. Monitor CBC during prolonged use.
Why a species-specific page? Chloramphenicol pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in ball pythons — 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.
| 40 |
| SC |
| Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.1 |
| 40 mg/kg SC q24h 50 mg/kg SC q12-72h Sn |
| 50 | SC | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.1 | 40 mg/kg SC q24h 50 mg/kg SC q12-72h Sn |
| 40 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.1 | 40 mg/kg PO, SC, IM q24h, or 20 mg/kg PO, SC, IM q12h |
| 50 | SC | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.1 | 50 mg/kg SC q12-72h52 Snakes/PD; q12h in indigo, rat, king snakes; q24h in boids, moccasin snakes; q48h in rattlesnakes; q72h in red-bellied water snakes |
| 50 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.1 | 50 mg/kg SC, IM, ICe q12-24h52 20 mg/L batha changed daily52 Caution: even miniscule exposures carries risk of aplastic anemia in susceptible individuals; wear disposable gloves wh |
| 40 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.1 | 40 mg/kg PO, SC, IM q24h, or 20 mg/ kg PO, SC, IM q12h90 Most species/20 mg/kg may be given q24h in larger crocodilians |
| 40 | SC | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.1 | 40 mg/kg SC q24h40 Snakes/PD (gopher snakes, 29°C [84°F]) |
| Dose (mg/l) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.1 | 50 mg/kg SC, IM, ICe q12-24h52 20 mg/L batha changed daily52 Caution: even miniscule exposures carries risk of aplastic anemia in susceptible individuals; wear disposable gloves wh |
| 30 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.1 | mg/kg topically (applied as Chlorsig 1% ointme [Sigma], which also contains paraffin and wool -30 mg/L (10-30 ppm) as continuous bath replace fresh daily for up to 30 days52 mg/L b |
| 52 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.1 | mg/kg topically (applied as Chlorsig 1% ointme [Sigma], which also contains paraffin and wool -30 mg/L (10-30 ppm) as continuous bath replace fresh daily for up to 30 days52 mg/L b |
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.