Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Ketamine is dosed at 20–60 mg/kg IM once in ball pythons, per 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. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.241 (2026-08-01).. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
NMDA receptor antagonist producing dissociative anesthesia. Provides somatic analgesia, amnesia, and catalepsy while maintaining pharyngeal reflexes.
Side effects & warnings
Increases intracranial and intraocular pressure. Causes increased salivation (premedicate with anticholinergic). Eyes remain open under anesthesia — use lubricant. Do NOT use alone in dogs/cats (muscle rigidity) — combine with a sedative.
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Backed by 21 published sources
· Abrahamsen EJ. Equine Field Anesthesia I. Presented at: Western Veterinary Conference; 2007. doi:10.1016/b978-1-4160-0270-3.50008-7 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.748 (2026-08-01).
· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed., Part A: Canine and Feline (ed. Allerton), Ketamine, printed p.218 (corpus PDF p.234) — "Dogs: Induction of anaesthesia (combined with diazepam or midazolam) as part of a volatile anaesthetic technique: 2 mg/kg i.v." — plus Plumb's 10th ed. printed p.720 for 5 mg/kg IV (refractory status epilepticus bolus) and 5.5 mg/kg IV with diazepam. Plumb's ref 51 = Roynard P, Bilderback A, Dewey CW. Intravenous Ketamine Bolus(es) for the Treatment of Status Epilepticus, Refractory Status Epilepticus, and Cluster Seizures: A Retrospective Study of 15 Dogs. Front Vet Sci. 2021.
· Browning GR, Eshar D, Beaufrère H. Comparison of dexmedetomidine-ketamine-midazolam and isoflurane for anesthesia of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2019;58:50-57. doi:10.30802/aalas-jaalas-18-000001 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.785 (2026-08-01).
Constant rate infusion (CRI)
Ketamine CRI dose rules from the ExoticRx formulary. Verify against current literature before clinical use; CRI rates differ from bolus dosing and route, dilution, and monitoring matter. Sign in for the complete per-species CRI protocol set.
Lamont LA. Adjunctive analgesic therapy in veterinary medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2008;38(6):1187-1203, v. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.002 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.747 (2026-08-01).
Lamont LA. Adjunctive analgesic therapy in veterinary medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2008;38(6):1187-1203, v. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.002 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.748 (2026-08-01).
Sample dosing (2 of 32 cited rules)
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.
Lamont LA. Adjunctive analgesic therapy in veterinary medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2008;38(6):1187-1203, v. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.002 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.747 (2026-08-01).
Lamont LA. Adjunctive analgesic therapy in veterinary medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2008;38(6):1187-1203, v. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.002 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.748 (2026-08-01).
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· Doneley B. Avian Medicine and Surgery in Practice: Companion and Aviary Birds, 2nd ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL; 2016.; 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. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.451 (2026-08-01).
· ExoticRx 2026 (rat dosing guide); Carpenter 6e | Corroborated 2026-07-30: Van Pelt LF. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1977;171(9):842-844. PMID:924855 — rat (Rattus norvegicus), ketamine 87 mg/kg IM with xylazine 13 mg/kg (abstract).
· Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery (Quesenberry et al.), Appendix Formulary Table A.4, printed p.627 (corpus PDF p.639)
· GillettCS. Selected drug dosages and clinical reference data. In: Manning PJ, Ringler DH, Newcomer CE, eds. The Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit, 2nd ed., Academic Press, San Diego, CA; 1994:467-472. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-469235-0.50028-2 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.860 (2026-08-01).
· Lamont LA. Adjunctive analgesic therapy in veterinary medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2008;38(6):1187-1203, v. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.002 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.747 (2026-08-01).
· 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.; 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. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.708 (2026-08-01).
· 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.784 (2026-08-01).
· Papich Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 5th Ed, printed p.429 (corpus p.457), Ketamine Hydrochloride, Large Animal Dosage
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed
· Rings D. Anesthesia and Surgical Procedures for Small Ruminants I & II. Presented at: Western Veterinary Conference; 2005. Distributed by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. PMID: 2983894 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.627 (2026-08-01).
· Rings D. Anesthesia and Surgical Procedures for Small Ruminants I & II. Presented at: Western Veterinary Conference; 2005. Distributed by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. | Abrahamsen EJ. Chemical Restraint and Injectable Anesthesia of Ruminants. Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice. 2013;29(1):209-227. PMID: 2983894 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.627 (2026-08-01).
· Verified against Quesenberry et al., Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents, 4th Ed, p.352 (2026-08-01).
Dog (Domestic)IV
0.1–0.5 mg/kgper hour (CRI)
CRI for somatic analgesia
ModerateLamont LA. Adjunctive analgesic therapy in veterinary medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2008;38(6):1187-1203, v. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.002 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.747 (2026-08-01).
Cat (Domestic)IV
0.1–0.5 mg/kgper hour (CRI)
CRI for somatic analgesia
ModerateLamont LA. Adjunctive analgesic therapy in veterinary medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2008;38(6):1187-1203, v. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2008.06.002 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.748 (2026-08-01).
Ketamine (Ketaset, Vetalar) Dosage for Ferrets | ExoticRx