Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Metoclopramide is dosed at 0.2–0.5 mg/kg IM q6-8h in dogs, per Whitehead K, Cortes Y, Eirmann L. Gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders in critically ill dogs and cats. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2016;26(2):234-253. doi:10.1111/vec.12449 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.896 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.869, Metoclopramide monograph spanning p.867-869; 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. Metoclopramide is used in dogs for Acute vomiting, Severe vomiting, CRI for persistent nausea, Nausea, vomiting, gastroparesis, Nausea, vomiting. Routes documented in dogs: IM, IV, PO, SC. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 4 cited dose rules for Metoclopramide in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Reglan
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 0.2–0.5 mg/kg | q6-8h | As needed | Acute vomiting | Strong | Whitehead K, Cortes Y, Eirmann L. Gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders in critically ill dogs and cats. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2016;26(2):234-253. doi:10.1111/vec.12449 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.896 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.869, Metoclopramide monograph spanning p.867-869; 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 |
| IV | 0.01–0.02 mg/kg/h | per hour (CRI) | As needed | Severe vomiting, CRI for persistent nausea | Strong | Merck/MSD Veterinary Manual, Prokinetic Drugs table (0.01-0.02 mg/kg/h IV infusion) https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/prokinetic-drugs | Higher published regimens: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) (1-2 mg/kg/day); Today's Veterinary Practice, Management of GI Hypomotility in the Hospitalized Patient (0.5 mg/kg bolus then 2-8 mg/kg/day) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.867, Metoclopramide monograph spanning p.867-869; 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 |
| PO | 0.2–0.5 mg/kg | q6-8h | 3-7 days | Nausea, vomiting, gastroparesis | Strong | Whitehead K, Cortes Y, Eirmann L. Gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders in critically ill dogs and cats. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2016;26(2):234-253. doi:10.1111/vec.12449 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.896 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.869, Metoclopramide monograph spanning p.867-869; 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 |
| SC | 0.2–0.5 mg/kg | q6-8h | 3-7 days | Nausea, vomiting | Strong | Whitehead K, Cortes Y, Eirmann L. Gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders in critically ill dogs and cats. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2016;26(2):234-253. doi:10.1111/vec.12449 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.896 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.869, Metoclopramide monograph spanning p.867-869; 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 |
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 (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25–0.5 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.278 | 0.25-0.5 mg/kg i.v., i.m., s.c., p.o. q12h or 0.17-0.33 mg/kg i.v., i.m., s.c., p.o. q8h or 1-2 mg |
| 0.17–0.33 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.278 | 0.25-0.5 mg/kg i.v., i.m., s.c., p.o. q12h or 0.17-0.33 mg/kg i.v., i.m., s.c., p.o. q8h or 1-2 mg/kg i.v. over 24 hours as a constant rate infu |
| 1–2 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.278 | q12h or 0.17-0.33 mg/kg i.v., i.m., s.c., p.o. q8h or 1-2 mg/kg i.v. over 24 hours as a constant rate infusion. |
One of the cited rules is a continuous-rate-infusion regimen: IV 0.01–0.02 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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Dopamine D2 receptor antagonist. Increases GI motility (prokinetic) and acts centrally as an antiemetic at the chemoreceptor trigger zone.
May cause extrapyramidal signs (restlessness, tremors). Contraindicated with GI obstruction or perforation. Avoid concurrent use with phenothiazines.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Metoclopramide dose ranges in dogs, with cited source references: IM 0.2–0.5 mg/kg q6-8h; IV 0.01–0.02 mg/kg/h per hour (CRI); PO 0.2–0.5 mg/kg q6-8h; SC 0.2–0.5 mg/kg q6-8h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Metoclopramide in dogs: IM, IV, PO, SC.
Cited course lengths for Metoclopramide in dogs include: As needed; 3-7 days. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Metoclopramide is indicated in dogs for: Acute vomiting, Severe vomiting, CRI for persistent nausea, Nausea, vomiting, gastroparesis, Nausea, vomiting.
These are general warnings for Metoclopramide across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. May cause extrapyramidal signs (restlessness, tremors). Contraindicated with GI obstruction or perforation. Avoid concurrent use with phenothiazines.
Why a species-specific page? Metoclopramide 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.
| 0.2–0.5 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.550 | • 0.2-0.5 mg/kg q6-8h IV, IM, or PO. |
| 0.4 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.550 | • CRI: Administer a loading dose of 0.4 mg/kg, followed by 0.3 mg/kg/hr. In re- |
| 0.3 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.550 | • CRI: Administer a loading dose of 0.4 mg/kg, followed by 0.3 mg/kg/hr. In re- |
| 1 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.550 | fractory cases, CRI dose may be increased up to 1.0 mg/kg/hr. For antiemetic |
| 2 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.550 | treatment with cancer chemotherapy, the dose used is up to 2 mg/kg per 24 hours. |
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.