Reptile · Python regius · typical adult weight 1.00–2.00 kg
Ketamine Injectable is dosed at 40–80 mg/kg IM IM once in ball pythons, per Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed. Ketamine Injectable is used in ball pythons for Anesthesia, Anesthesia induction. Routes documented in ball pythons: IM. A typical adult ball python weighs 1.00–2.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Ketamine Injectable in ball pythons, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Ketaset, VetaKet
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 40–80 mg/kg | IM once | Single dose | Anesthesia | Weak | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed |
| IM | 20–60 mg/kg | IM once | Single dose | Anesthesia induction |
| Moderate |
| 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). |
Need the exact dose for your patient?
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.
NMDA receptor antagonist producing dissociative anesthesia. Maintains pharyngeal reflexes and respiratory drive. Analgesic at sub-anesthetic doses.
DEA Schedule III. Eyes remain open (lubricate). Combine with benzodiazepine or alpha-2 agonist (reduces dose, improves recovery). Cats: recovery dysphoria. Widely used in exotics.
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.
Ketamine Injectable dose ranges in ball pythons, with cited source references: IM 40–80 mg/kg IM once; IM 20–60 mg/kg IM once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Ketamine Injectable in ball pythons: IM.
Cited course lengths for Ketamine Injectable in ball pythons include: Single dose. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Ketamine Injectable is indicated in ball pythons for: Anesthesia, Anesthesia induction.
These are general warnings for Ketamine Injectable across species; consult the ball python dosing table above for species-specific guidance. DEA Schedule III. Eyes remain open (lubricate). Combine with benzodiazepine or alpha-2 agonist (reduces dose, improves recovery). Cats: recovery dysphoria. Widely used in exotics.
Why a species-specific page? Ketamine Injectable 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.