Pocket Pet · Mustela putorius furo · typical adult weight 0.60–2.00 kg
Ketamine is dosed at 5–10 mg/kg IM Once in ferrets, per Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery (Quesenberry et al.), Appendix Formulary Table A.4, printed p.627 (corpus PDF p.639). Ketamine is used in ferrets for Pre-medication (with midazolam). Routes documented in ferrets: IM. A typical adult ferret weighs 0.60–2.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Ketamine in ferrets, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Ketaset, Vetalar
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 5–10 mg/kg | Once | Pre-medication (with midazolam) | Moderate | Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery (Quesenberry et al.), Appendix Formulary Table A.4, printed p.627 (corpus PDF p.639) |
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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 ferrets may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Ketamine dose range in ferrets, with cited source references: IM 5–10 mg/kg Once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Ketamine in ferrets: IM.
Ketamine is indicated in ferrets for: Pre-medication (with midazolam).
These are general warnings for Ketamine across species; consult the ferret 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 ferrets — 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.