Ketamine for Blue-tongue Skinks — Dose, Routes, Citations | ExoticRx
Ketamine for Blue-tongue Skinks
Reptile · Tiliqua scincoides · typical adult weight 0.25–0.60 kg
Ketamine is dosed at 5–10 mg/kg IM once in blue-tongue skinks, 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. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.241 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.7 (Preferred Injectable Sedation Protocols Used in Select Reptiles.301,400,430). Located 2026-08-05: the only table covering this species in which the drug's own row prints this dose. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530. Ketamine is used in blue-tongue skinks for Reduce breath-holding during chamber induction, Sedation. Routes documented in blue-tongue skinks: IM, SC, IM. A typical adult blue-tongue skink weighs 0.25–0.60 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Ketamine in blue-tongue skinks, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
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.241 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.7 (Preferred Injectable Sedation Protocols Used in Select Reptiles.301,400,430). Located 2026-08-05: the only table covering this species in which the drug's own row prints this dose. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530
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.242 — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 - Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.5 (Chemical Restraint/Anesthetic Agents Used in Reptiles). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table - not the page - is the citable location.
What each reference text prints
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
Printed doses in mg/kg for this drug and species, by source
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.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for blue-tongue skinks may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Frequently asked questions
What is the dose of Ketamine for Blue-tongue Skinks?
Ketamine dose ranges in blue-tongue skinks, with cited source references: IM 5–10 mg/kg once; SC, IM 30–50 mg/kg not stated in source. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
How is Ketamine administered in Blue-tongue Skinks?
Documented routes for Ketamine in blue-tongue skinks: IM, SC, IM.
What conditions does Ketamine treat in Blue-tongue Skinks?
Ketamine is indicated in blue-tongue skinks for: Reduce breath-holding during chamber induction, Sedation.
What are the side effects of Ketamine in Blue-tongue Skinks?
These are general warnings for Ketamine across species; consult the blue-tongue skink dosing table above for species-specific guidance. 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.
Other Anesthetic drugs with blue-tongue skink dosing
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 blue-tongue skinks — 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.
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.