Livestock · Sus scrofa domesticus · typical adult weight 1.00–300.00 kg
Ketamine is dosed at 11 mg/kg IM once; premedicate with atropine in swine, per Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Ketamine, SWINE, Injectable anesthesia (extra-label), item a; printed p.723 (corpus PDF p.750) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.723, Ketamine monograph spanning p.717-724; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207. Ketamine is used in swine for Restraint, sedation, anesthesia induction, Sedation and immobilization. Routes documented in swine: IM. A typical adult swine weighs 1.00–300.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Ketamine in swine, 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 | 11 mg/kg | once; premedicate with atropine | — | Restraint, sedation, anesthesia induction | Weak | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Ketamine, SWINE, Injectable anesthesia (extra-label), item a; printed p.723 (corpus PDF p.750) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.723, Ketamine monograph spanning p.717-724; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| IM | 10–20 mg/kg | Once | Single dose | Sedation and immobilization | Moderate | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — 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.
| Dose (%) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.458 | to 1 liter of 5% guaifenesis in dextrose. Infused at a rate of 1.1 mL/kg for induc- |
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • Ketamine at 1.1 mg/kg mixed with xylazine at 0.5 mg/kg may be combined in |
| 0.5 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • Ketamine at 1.1 mg/kg mixed with xylazine at 0.5 mg/kg may be combined in |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your swine'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 swine may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Ketamine dose ranges in swine, with cited source references: IM 11 mg/kg once; premedicate with atropine; IM 10–20 mg/kg Once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Ketamine in swine: IM.
Cited course lengths for Ketamine in swine include: Single dose. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Ketamine is indicated in swine for: Restraint, sedation, anesthesia induction, Sedation and immobilization.
These are general warnings for Ketamine across species; consult the swine 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 swine — 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.
| 0.6 |
| IV |
| Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 |
| • CRI: Loading dose of 0.6 mg/kg IV, followed by CRI of 0.4-0.8 mg/kg/hr, and |
| 0.4–0.8 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • CRI: Loading dose of 0.6 mg/kg IV, followed by CRI of 0.4-0.8 mg/kg/hr, and |
| 1.2 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | increased to 1.2 mg/kg/hr if needed. To prepare CRI solution for analgesia, add |
| 10 | IM | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.458 | • 10 mg/kg IM. Often used in combination with other agents, such as xylazine. |
| 0.02 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.458 | • Foals, treatment of seizures: 0.02 mg/kg/min CRI. |
| 2 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.457 | • 2 mg/kg IV (in horses, pretreat with a sedative). |
| Dose (ml/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.458 | to 1 liter of 5% guaifenesis in dextrose. Infused at a rate of 1.1 mL/kg for induc- |
| 2.4 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.458 | tion, then 2.4 mL/kg per hour for maintenance. |
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.