ExoticRx · exoticrx.com/drugs/epinephrine
US brand names:Adrenalin
Also known as: Adrenaline
Epinephrine is dosed at 0.1 mg/kg IV once (no interval printed in source) in ball pythons, per Graham JE, Doss GA, Beaufrere H (eds). Exotic Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Wiley-Blackwell, printed p.741, Box 44.1 'Commonly used medications in reptile and amphibian CPCR': 'Epinephrine (1:1000, 1 mg/ml) Reptiles: 0.1 mg/kg IV, IO, IT [3, 12]'. Corroborated by Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery 3e, printed p.1388: 'epinephrine (0.1 mg/kg IM or IV) may be effective'. THE CARPENTER TABLE 4.5 LOCATOR IS REMOVED: carpenter p.239 prints '0.5-1 mg/kg IV, IO, IT331 | Most species/CPR, cardiac arrest' and every 0.1 mg/kg row on it is IM, chelonian or crocodilian, and an anaesthetic-RECOVERY indication.. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Non-selective adrenergic agonist (alpha and beta). Increases heart rate, contractility, and vascular tone. Bronchodilator. First-line for cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis.
Causes tachycardia, arrhythmias, hypertension. Dilute for IV use (1:10,000). Tissue necrosis if extravasated. Very short duration of action. Light-sensitive.
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 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat (Domestic) | IM | 0.01–0.02 mg/kg | q15-20min | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.457, Epinephrine monograph spanning p.457-459; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| Cat (Domestic) | IV, IO | 0.01–0.02 mg/kg | q3-5min | Strong | Verified against Papich/Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th Ed, p.320 (2026-08-01). — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.320' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.292; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.292. — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, — Papich MG, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, Epinephrine, Small Animal Dosage, printed p.292 (corpus PDF p.320): "Cardiac arrest: 10-20 mcg/kg IV"; same page, "Generally, start with the low dose every 3-5 minutes IV in CPR." Corroborated: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (held), printed p.459, DOGS/CATS: "Low-dose epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg IV, IO administered every 3 to 5 minutes"; BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed, Part A, printed p.6, "Dogs, Cats: Cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA): 10 ug/kg ... i.v. or intraosseously every 3-5 min." [INDICATION NARROWED 2026-08-12, two readers — the printed anaphylaxis IV figure is 5-10 mcg/kg, half the served top end.] |
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