Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Ketamine is dosed at 5–10 mg/kg IM once in dogs, per 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.717, Ketamine monograph spanning p.717-724; 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. Ketamine is used in dogs for Field sedation for aggressive dogs, Sedation/restraint (with sedative), Anesthetic induction (with sedative), analgesia adjunct, Refractory status epilepticus. Routes documented in dogs: IM, IV. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 5 cited dose rules for Ketamine in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Ketaset, Vetalar
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 5–10 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Field sedation for aggressive dogs | Moderate | 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.717, Ketamine monograph spanning p.717-724; 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 |
| IM | 5–10 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Sedation/restraint (with sedative) | 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.717, Ketamine monograph spanning p.717-724; 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 |
| IV | 2–5 mg/kg | once at induction, with a benzodiazepine | Single induction dose | Anesthetic induction (with sedative), analgesia adjunct | 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.717, Ketamine monograph spanning p.717-724; 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 |
| IV | 2–5 mg/kg | once | Emergency | Refractory status epilepticus | Weak | 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 […]" — 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. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part A — Canine and Feline — ISBN 9781910443705, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443705; Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| IV | 0.1–0.5 mg/kg/h | per hour (CRI) | Intra/post-operative | CRI for somatic analgesia | Moderate | 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). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.717, Ketamine monograph spanning p.717-724; 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 |
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.
| Dose (mcg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250–500 | — | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.234 | ostoperatively: 2-5 μg/kg/min; both preceded by a 250-500 μg/kg loading dose. There is some evidence to suggest that a 10 μg/kg/min dose may be too low t |
| 40 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.234 | tion: ketamine (5-7 mg/kg i.m.) combined with medetomidine (40 μg/kg i.m.) or dexmedetomidine (20 μg/ kg i.m.) |
| 5–10 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | 0.3-0.6 mg/kg/hr (5-10 mcg/kg/min), followed by 0.12 mg/kg/hr after surgery |
One of the cited rules is a continuous-rate-infusion regimen: IV 0.1–0.5 mg/kg/h per hour (CRI). CRI regimens are delivered as a continuous infusion rather than discrete doses — verify the rate against the cited source before use.
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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 dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Ketamine dose ranges in dogs, with cited source references: IM 5–10 mg/kg once; IM 5–10 mg/kg once; IV 2–5 mg/kg once at induction, with a benzodiazepine; IV 2–5 mg/kg once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Ketamine in dogs: IM, IV.
Cited course lengths for Ketamine in dogs include: Single dose; Single induction dose; Emergency; Intra/post-operative. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Ketamine is indicated in dogs for: Field sedation for aggressive dogs, Sedation/restraint (with sedative), Anesthetic induction (with sedative), analgesia adjunct, Refractory status epilepticus, CRI for somatic analgesia.
These are general warnings for Ketamine across species; consult the dog 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.
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 dogs — 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.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.234 | or midazolam) as part of a volatile anaesthetic technique: 2 mg/kg i.v. • Induction of general anaesthesia combined with medetomidine or dexmedetomi |
| 5–7 | IM | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.234 | provide a total injectable combination: ketamine (5-7 mg/kg i.m.) combined with medetomidine (40 μg/kg i.m.) or dexmedetomidine (20 μg/ kg |
| 5.5–22 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • 5.5-22 mg/kg IV or IM. (Generally, the lower dose range is given IV compared |
| 0.3–0.5 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • CRI for perioperative use: Loading dose of 0.3-0.5 mg/kg IV, followed by |
| 0.3–0.6 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | administer a rate of 0.3-0.6 mg/kg/hour, mix 0.6 mL (60 mg) with 1 L of fluids |
| 0.12 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | 0.3-0.6 mg/kg/hr (5-10 mcg/kg/min), followed by 0.12 mg/kg/hr after surgery |
| 1 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | (18 hours). The rate during surgery may be increased to 1 mg/kg/hr if needed. To |
| 1–2 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • CRI for light sedation: 1-2 mg/kg/hr, which may be combined with other sedatives. |
| 0.24 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | morphine: 0.24 mg/kg hr; lidocaine: 3 mg/kg/hr; and ketamine: 0.6 mg/kg/hr, |
| 3 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | morphine: 0.24 mg/kg hr; lidocaine: 3 mg/kg/hr; and ketamine: 0.6 mg/kg/hr, |
| 0.6 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | morphine: 0.24 mg/kg hr; lidocaine: 3 mg/kg/hr; and ketamine: 0.6 mg/kg/hr, |
| Dose (ml/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5–10 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | and infuse at a rate of 5-10 mL/kg per hour. K |
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.