Reptile · Python regius · typical adult weight 1.00–2.00 kg
Ketamine is used in ball python for Sedation, anesthesia. Routes documented in ball python: IM. A typical adult ball python weighs 1.00–2.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Ketamine in ball python, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Trade names: Ketaset, Vetalar
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 20–60 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation, anesthesia | Moderate | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed |
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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. Provides somatic analgesia, amnesia, and catalepsy while maintaining pharyngeal reflexes.
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.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for ball python may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Why a species-specific page? Ketamine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in ball python — 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.