Cat · Felis catus · typical adult weight 2.50–7.00 kg
Methohexital is dosed at 3–6 mg/kg IV Single dose IV to effect in cats, per Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed (2016) — Methohexital Sodium (monograph begins printed p.510), Small Animal Dosage, Dogs and Cats, printed p.511 (corpus PDF p.539): "3-6 mg/kg IV (give slowly to effect). Doses as high as 15 mg/kg IV have been administered to dogs over 30 seconds." [LOCATOR CORRECTED 2026-08-12 — "p.539" was the corpus/PDF index; the book's printed p.539 is the Mitotane/Mitoxantrone spread. Printed p.511 carries the running head "Methotrexate" because that monograph starts partway down the page.] — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855. Methohexital is used in cats for Ultra-short anesthetic induction. Routes documented in cats: IV. A typical adult cat weighs 2.50–7.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Methohexital in cats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Brevital
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IV | 3–6 mg/kg | Single dose IV to effect | 5-10 minutes | Ultra-short anesthetic induction | Weak | Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed (2016) — Methohexital Sodium (monograph begins printed p.510), Small Animal Dosage, Dogs and Cats, printed p.511 (corpus PDF p.539): "3-6 mg/kg IV (give slowly to effect). Doses as high as 15 mg/kg IV have been administered to dogs over 30 seconds." [LOCATOR CORRECTED 2026-08-12 — "p.539" was the corpus/PDF index; the book's printed p.539 is the Mitotane/Mitoxantrone spread. Printed p.511 carries the running head "Methotrexate" because that monograph starts partway down the page.] — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3–6 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.539 | • 3-6 mg/kg IV (give slowly to effect). Doses as high as 15 mg/kg IV have been |
| 15 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.539 | • 3-6 mg/kg IV (give slowly to effect). Doses as high as 15 mg/kg IV have been |
| 0.25 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.539 | • CRI: 0.25 mg/kg/min for 30 minutes, then 0.125 mg/kg/min. |
| 0.125 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.539 | • CRI: 0.25 mg/kg/min for 30 minutes, then 0.125 mg/kg/min. |
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.
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Ultra-short acting barbiturate that enhances GABA-A receptor activity and blocks AMPA receptors. Rapid onset and very short duration of action.
Causes respiratory depression. Perivascular injection causes tissue necrosis. Not analgesic. Causes excitatory phenomena (tremors, hiccoughs). Recovery may be rough in sighthounds.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for cats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Methohexital dose range in cats, with cited source references: IV 3–6 mg/kg Single dose IV to effect. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Methohexital in cats: IV.
Cited course lengths for Methohexital in cats include: 5-10 minutes. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Methohexital is indicated in cats for: Ultra-short anesthetic induction.
These are general warnings for Methohexital across species; consult the cat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Causes respiratory depression. Perivascular injection causes tissue necrosis. Not analgesic. Causes excitatory phenomena (tremors, hiccoughs). Recovery may be rough in sighthounds.
Why a species-specific page? Methohexital pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in cats — 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.