Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Ciprofloxacin is dosed at 10–20 mg/kg PO q12h in rabbits, per Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th Ed, Appendix Table A.1, p.621; BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B, p.77. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Inhibits bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, preventing DNA replication. Active metabolite of enrofloxacin in some species. Concentration-dependent killing.
Side effects & warnings
Avoid in young growing animals (cartilage damage). May cause CNS stimulation. Drug interactions with antacids, sucralfate. Cats: retinal degeneration risk at high doses.
Species with Ciprofloxacin dosing data (36 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Sample dosing (2 of 36 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 33 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.
Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023) — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.265, Ciprofloxacin monograph spanning p.265-268. — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.266, Ciprofloxacin monograph.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
· 122. Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.771 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.1 (Antimicrobial and Antifungal Agents Used in Rodents.a).
· 241. Dorrestein GM. Passerine and softbill therapeutics. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000 -- 3:35-57. | 391. Hawkins MG, Barron H, Speer BL, et al. Birds. In: Carpenter JW, ed. Exotic Animal Formulary, 4th ed. Elsevier Saunders, St. Louis, MO -- 2013:183-437. | 940. Tully TN. Formulary. In: Altman RB, Clubb SL, Dorrestein GM, et al. Avian Medicine and Surgery. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA -- 1997:671-688. All three superscripts are printed on the row. Carpenter Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.1.
· 241. Dorrestein GM. Passerine and softbill therapeutics. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000;3:35-57. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.410 doi:10.1016/s1094-9194(17)30094-4 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Birds.a).
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Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
· 34. Johnson D. African pygmy hedgehogs. In: Meredith A, Johnson-Delaney C, eds. BSAVA Manual of Exotic Pets, 5th ed., British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Gloucester, UK; 2010:139-147. | 52. Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry Q, Orcutt C, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.733 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Hedgehogs).
· 70. Divers SJ. Empirical doses of antimicrobial drugs commonly used in reptiles. Exot DVM. 1998;1:23. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1402
· 790. Rupiper DJ, Ehrenberg M. Introduction to pigeon practice. Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet; 1994:203-211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.410 PMID: 41137041 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Birds.a).
· 790. Rupiper DJ, Ehrenberg M. Introduction to pigeon practice. Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet; 1994:203-211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.410 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Birds.a).
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 4.1. 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. | 5 mg/kg lower bound source, previously uncited: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B - Exotic Pets, printed p.77: "Reptiles:. Systemic: 5-10 mg/kg p.o., s.c., i.m. q24h." carpenter Table 4.1 prints only "10 mg/kg PO q48h107 | Most species" and "11 mg/kg PO q48-72h243 | Pythons" - it does NOT print 5 mg/kg.
· Divers SJ. Empirical doses of antimicrobial drugs commonly used in reptiles. Exot DVM. 1998;1:23. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b).
· Divers SJ. Empirical doses of antimicrobial drugs commonly used in reptiles. Exot DVM. 1998;1:23. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.215 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b).
· Dorrestein GM. Passerine and softbill therapeutics. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000;3:35-57. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.410 doi:10.1016/s1094-9194(17)30094-4 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Birds.a).
· Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th Ed, Appendix Table A.1, p.621 - 'Ciprofloxacin. Rabbits 5-20 mg/kg PO q12-24h'; and BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B, p.77 - 'Rabbits: 10-20 mg/kg p.o. q24h'
· Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th Ed, Appendix Table A.1, p.621; BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B, p.77
· Hawkins MG, Barron H, Speer BL, et al. Birds. In: Carpenter JW, eds. Exotic Animal Formulary, 4th ed., Elsevier Saunders, St. Louis, MO; 2013:183-437. — Carpenter 6th ed, Table 5.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Birds). Superscript 391 on the served row resolves to Hawkins MG, Barron H, Speer BL, et al, Birds, in Carpenter JW ed, Exotic Animal Formulary 4th ed, Elsevier Saunders, St. Louis MO, 2013:183-437. The SOURCE EDITION entry naming Current Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery is not the source of this row.
· Hawkins MG, Barron H, Speer BL, et al. Birds. In: Carpenter JW, eds. Exotic Animal Formulary, 4th ed., Elsevier Saunders, St. Louis, MO; 2013:183-437. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.410 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed — "Ciprofloxacin. 20-40 mg/kg PO, IV q12h(391) — Most species, including psittacines, canaries, raptors." Canaries are named; the served range matches exactly.
· Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B - Exotic Pets, BSAVA, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK, Ciprofloxacin monograph, printed p.77: 'Reptiles: Topical: 1 drop to affected eyes or in wounds or topical application for stomatitis, Systemic: 5-10 mg/kg p.o., s.c., i.m. q24h.' CARPENTER TABLE 4.1 DOES NOT CONTAIN THIS ROW: its entire reptile ciprofloxacin block is two ORAL rows, 10 mg/kg PO q48h (Most species) and 11 mg/kg PO q48-72h (Pythons/PD), and mader p.1402 prints the same two. The 5-10 mg/kg IM figures below them on carpenter pp.215-216 are ENROFLOXACIN.
· Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.771 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.1 (Antimicrobial and Antifungal Agents Used in Rodents.a).
· Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015.; 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.
· Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Orcu[tt] C, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.1 (Antimicrobial and Antifungal Agents Used in Sugar Gliders).
· Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. 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. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.931 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 11.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Ferrets).
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023) — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.265, Ciprofloxacin monograph spanning p.265-268. — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.266, Ciprofloxacin monograph.
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023), Ciprofloxacin, p.295, DOGS row; superscript 1 = Papich MG. Ciprofloxacin pharmacokinetics in clinical canine patients. J Vet Intern Med. 2017;31(5):1508-1513. Corroborated by Papich, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs 4th ed p.189 ('Dogs • 25 mg/kg q24h PO') and Riviere & Papich, Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 10th ed p.983 ('Ciprofloxacin | 25 (oral) | recommended daily dose 25-30 once daily | Papich, 2012') — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.268, Ciprofloxacin monograph spanning p.265-268.
· Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.77.