Reptile · Python regius · typical adult weight 1.00–2.00 kg
Metronidazole is dosed at 20 mg/kg PO q48h for at least 7 days in ball pythons, per Mader's Table 127.4 Antiparasitic Agents, corpus p.1406 (printed 1196); Plumb's Metronidazole REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS, corpus p.903: '100 mg/kg PO repeated in 2 weeks or 50 mg/kg PO once daily for 3 to 5 days' — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530. Metronidazole is used in ball pythons for Flagellate protozoal infections, anaerobic infections. Routes documented in ball pythons: PO. A typical adult ball python weighs 1.00–2.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Metronidazole in ball pythons, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Flagyl
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 20 mg/kg | q48h for at least 7 days | Repeat in 2 weeks | Flagellate protozoal infections, anaerobic infections |
| Anecdotal |
| Mader's Table 127.4 Antiparasitic Agents, corpus p.1406 (printed 1196); Plumb's Metronidazole REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS, corpus p.903: '100 mg/kg PO repeated in 2 weeks or 50 mg/kg PO once daily for 3 to 5 days' — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.4 | 50 mg/kg PO q48h43a 20 mg/kg PO q24- Ig 48h Ch 40-60 mg/kg PO Ge q7d x2-3 doses 40-200 mg/kg PO, repeat in 14 days |
| 50 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.4 | 50 mg/kg PO q48h43a 20 mg/kg PO q24- Ig 48h Ch 40-60 mg/kg PO Ge q7d x2-3 doses 40-200 mg/kg PO, repeat in 14 days |
| 40–60 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.4 | 50 mg/kg PO q48h43a 20 mg/kg PO q24- Ig 48h Ch 40-60 mg/kg PO Ge q7d x2-3 doses 40-200 mg/kg PO, repeat in 14 days |
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Disrupts DNA structure in anaerobic organisms via reduction of nitro group, forming cytotoxic intermediates.
Neurotoxicity at high doses or prolonged use (ataxia, seizures). Avoid in pregnant animals. Hepatotoxic at high doses.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for ball pythons may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Metronidazole dose range in ball pythons, with cited source references: PO 20 mg/kg q48h for at least 7 days. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Metronidazole in ball pythons: PO.
Cited course lengths for Metronidazole in ball pythons include: Repeat in 2 weeks. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Metronidazole is indicated in ball pythons for: Flagellate protozoal infections, anaerobic infections.
These are general warnings for Metronidazole across species; consult the ball python dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Neurotoxicity at high doses or prolonged use (ataxia, seizures). Avoid in pregnant animals. Hepatotoxic at high doses.
Why a species-specific page? Metronidazole pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in ball pythons — 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.
| 40–200 |
| PO |
| Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.4 |
| 50 mg/kg PO q48h43a 20 mg/kg PO q24- Ig 48h Ch 40-60 mg/kg PO Ge q7d x2-3 doses 40-200 mg/kg PO, repeat in 14 days |
| 20 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.1 | 20 mg/kg PO q48h31,172 Snakes/PK (corn and rat snakes) |
| 50 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.1 | 50 mg/kg PO q24h × 7-14 days167 Most species/may be administered concurrently with amikacin for broader spectrum; because of potential side effects at this dose, a lower dose may b |
| 40–100 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 40-100 mg/kg PO, repeat in 10-14 days88 Most species/flagellate overgrowth |
| 40 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 40 mg/kg PO, repeat in 14 days90,143 Uracoan rattler, milk, tricolor king, and indigo snakes/flagellates |
| 12.5–50 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.8 | 12.5-50 mg/kg PO88 Most species/appetite stimulant (anecdotal; presumably associated with antiprotozoal activity) |
| 10 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.3 | 10 mg/kg PO q24h × 5-10 days52 Protozoa; for unfamiliar or sensitive species |
| 10 | IV | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.1 | 10 mg/kg IV q24h × 2 days52 Anaerobic infections |
| 12 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.1 | 12 mg/kg topically q24h × 5-10 days52 For chronic diarrhea |
| 60 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.1 | 60 mg/kg topically q24h × 3 days52 Anaerobic infections |
| 100 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.3 | 100 mg/kg PO q3d52 Protozoa |
| 100–150 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.3 | 100-150 mg/kg PO, repeat in 2-3 wk or prn52 Protozoa (i.e., Entamoeba, Hexamita, Opalina) |
| Dose (mg/l) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | — | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 128.3 | 50 mg/L × 24 hr bath52 500 mg/100 g feed × 3-4 treatments52 Aquatic amphibians/protozoa Ciliates |
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.