Reptile · Terrapene carolina · typical adult weight 0.30–0.60 kg
Metronidazole is dosed at 25 mg/kg PO q24h x 5 days in eastern box turtles, per 99. Gibbons PM, Klaphake E, Carpenter JW. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, ed. Exotic Animal Formulary. 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; 2013:83-182. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1406 — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530. Metronidazole is used in eastern box turtles for amoebiasis, anaerobic bacterial infection. Routes documented in eastern box turtles: PO. A typical adult eastern box turtle weighs 0.30–0.60 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Metronidazole in eastern box turtles, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Flagyl
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 25 mg/kg | q24h x 5 days | amoebiasis | Weak | 99. Gibbons PM, Klaphake E, Carpenter JW. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, ed. Exotic Animal Formulary. 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; 2013:83-182. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1406 — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530 |
| PO | 20 mg/kg | q48h x >=7 days | anaerobic bacterial infection | Weak | 99. Gibbons PM, Klaphake E, Carpenter JW. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, ed. Exotic Animal Formulary. 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; 2013:83-182. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1403 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b). Located 2026-08-05: the only table covering this species in which the drug's own row prints this dose. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; 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 4.1 | 20 mg/kg PO q48h x≥7 days |
| 20 | ICE | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.4 | 20 mg/kg ICe q48h |
| 25 | PO | Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th edTable 4.4 | 25 mg/kg PO q24h x days |
| 20 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your eastern box turtle's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
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 eastern box turtles may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Metronidazole dose ranges in eastern box turtles, with cited source references: PO 25 mg/kg q24h x 5 days; PO 20 mg/kg q48h x >=7 days. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Metronidazole in eastern box turtles: PO.
Metronidazole is indicated in eastern box turtles for: amoebiasis, anaerobic bacterial infection.
These are general warnings for Metronidazole across species; consult the eastern box turtle 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 eastern box turtles — 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.
| 20 mg/kg PO q48h × ≥ 7 days99 Most species/anaerobes |
| 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 |
| 20 | ICE | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 20 mg/kg ICe q48h137 Red-eared sliders/PK; ICe administration not recommended; needs further safety evaluation |
| 25 | PO | Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd edTable 127.4 | 25 mg/kg PO q24h × 5 days99 Chelonians/amoebiasis |
| 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.