Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Cisapride is dosed at 0.5–1 mg/kg PO q8h in rabbits, per BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed., Part B: Exotic Pets, Cisapride monograph, printed p.78: 'Rabbits, Guinea pigs, Chinchillas: 0.1-1.0 mg/kg (typically 0.5 mg/kg) p.o. q8-12h' — which contains 0.5-1.0 mg/kg PO at q8h. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Serotonin 5-HT4 receptor agonist. Enhances acetylcholine release in the myenteric plexus, promoting GI motility throughout the tract.
Side effects & warnings
Withdrawn from human market (cardiac arrhythmias); available as compounded product for veterinary use. Contraindicated with GI obstruction. May interact with azole antifungals.
Species with Cisapride dosing data (27 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Sample dosing (2 of 27 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 21 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.269, Cisapride monograph spanning p.269-270.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
· 48. Fehr M, Sassenburg L, Zwart P. Krankheiten der Heimtiere, 8th ed., Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.799 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
· 63. Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. | 469. Tothill A, Johnson J, Branvold H, et al. Effect of cisapride, erythromycin, and metoclopramide on gastrointestinal transit time in the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii. J Herpetol Med Surg. 2000;10:16-20. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.272 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.11 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Reptiles).
· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th Ed, Part B - Exotic Pets, Cisapride monograph, printed p.78
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BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed., Part B: Exotic Pets, Cisapride monograph, printed p.78: 'Rabbits, Guinea pigs, Chinchillas: 0.1-1.0 mg/kg (typically 0.5 mg/kg) p.o. q8-12h' — which contains 0.5-1.0 mg/kg PO at q8h
· Bodley K. Appendix 4. Drug Formulary. In: Vogelnest L, Portas T, eds. Current Therapy in Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2019:702-727.; Brust DM. What every veterinarian needs to know about sugar gliders. Exotic DVM. 2009;11:32-41.; Ness RD, Johnson-Delaney C. Sugar gliders. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2012:393-410.
· Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.11 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Reptiles).
· Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.272 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.11 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Reptiles).
· Fehr M, Sassenburg L, Zwart P. Krankheiten der Heimtiere, 8th ed., Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.799 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
· Johnson-Delaney CA, Harrison LR, eds. Exotic Companion Medicine Handbook for Veterinarians, Wingers Publishing, Lake Worth, FL; 1996. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.18 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Birds).
· LeGrange SN, Boothe DM, Herndon S, Willard MD. Pharmacokinetics and suggested oral dosing regimen of cisapride: A study in healthy cats. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 1997;33:517-523. doi:10.5326/15473317-33-6-517 — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.269, Cisapride monograph spanning p.269-270.
· Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
· 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.955 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 11.10 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Ferrets.a).
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023) — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.269, Cisapride monograph spanning p.269-270.
· Whitehead K, Cortes Y, Eirmann L. Gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders in critically ill dogs and cats. J Vet Emerg Crit Car. 2016;26(2):234-253. doi:10.1111/vec.12449 — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.270, Cisapride monograph spanning p.269-270.