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, 9th Ed. Ketamine is used in dogs for Sedation/restraint (with sedative), Field sedation for aggressive dogs, 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 | Sedation/restraint (with sedative) | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed |
| IM | 5–10 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Field sedation for aggressive dogs | Moderate | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed |
| IV | 2–5 mg/kg | once | Single induction dose | Anesthetic induction (with sedative), analgesia adjunct | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed |
| IV | 2–5 mg/kg | once | Emergency | Refractory status epilepticus | Moderate | 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. |
| IV | 0.1–0.5 mg/kg | 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). |
One of the cited rules is a continuous-rate-infusion regimen: IV 0.1–0.5 mg/kg 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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These ranges are per kg. Enter your dog'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 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; 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: Sedation/restraint (with sedative), Field sedation for aggressive dogs, 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.