Which species have cited Vitamin A dosing data?

Vitamin A dosing in the ExoticRx formulary covers 23 species: African Clawed Frog, African Pygmy Hedgehog, Axolotl, Ball Python, Bearded Dragon, Blue-and-Gold Macaw, Blue-tongue Skink, Corn Snake, Crested Gecko, Dog (Domestic), Dwarf Hamster, Eastern Box Turtle, Fire Salamander, Houston Toad, Leopard Gecko, Lovebird, Rabbit (Domestic), Red-eared Slider, Russian Tortoise, Sulcata Tortoise, Syrian Hamster, Umbrella Cockatoo, White's Tree Frog.

Is Vitamin A a controlled substance?

Vitamin A is not federally scheduled in the US. Controlled-drug status differs by country — verify your local rules.

Vitamin A

Calculate dosage

Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.

Vitamin A is dosed at 500–1000 IU/kg IM Once (single IM dose); do not repeat in rabbits, per Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.10 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rabbits). Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Supplement

Routes

POIM

Indications

Adjunctive therapydietary supplementationexcessive spine lossHypovitaminosis Arespiratory infections adjunctRespiratory or epithelial disease (adjunctive)Skin disorders

Mechanism of Action

Essential fat-soluble vitamin required for vision, epithelial integrity, immune function, and reproduction. Deficiency common in captive reptiles and turtles on inadequate diets.

Side effects & warnings

NARROW therapeutic index — hypervitaminosis A causes hepatotoxicity and skin sloughing. Do not overdose. Particularly important in chelonians and box turtles. Toxicity signs include skin peeling.

Evidence levels across 25 dose rules

Moderate×9Weak×12Anecdotal×3Extrapolated×1

Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.

Sample dosing (1 of 25 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 23 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.

Species	Route	Dose	Frequency	Evidence	Source
Dog (Domestic)	PO	See the cited source for the printed regimen	q24h	Moderate	Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023) — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.1310, Vitamin A monograph.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

Backed by 17 published sourcesShow

· 122. Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.803 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
· 177. Coles BH. Prescribing for exotic birds. In: Bishop Y, eds. The Veterinary Formulary, 5th ed., Pharmaceutical Press, London, UK; 2001:99-105. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.477 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.11 (Nutritional/Mineral Support and Supplementation Used in Birds).
· 29. Isenbügel E, Baumgartner R. Diseases of the hedgehog. In: Fowler M, eds. Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine: Current Therapy, 3rd ed., WB Saunders, Philadelphia, PA; 1993:294-302. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.745 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Hedgehogs).
·

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63. Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.267 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles.a).

· 74. Donoghue S. Nutrition. In: Mader DR, ed. Reptile Medicine and Surgery. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Saunders/Elsevier; 2006:251-298. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1418

· Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.267 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles.a). — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed — "Vitamin A 2000 U/kg PO, SC, IM q7-14d x 2-4 treatments(63) — Most species/hypovitaminosis A". PO, SC and IM are all printed on this row, and it is species-general within the reptile table.

· Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.267 — SOURCE ROW: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed — "Vitamin A 2000 U/kg PO, SC, IM q7-14d x 2-4 treatments(63) — Most species/hypovitaminosis A". PO, SC and IM are all printed on this row, and it is species-general within the reptile table.

· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles), p.267 — superscript 63 = Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. Corroborated by BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B, Vitamin A, printed p.299: 'Reptiles: 1000-2000 IU/kg p.o. q7-14d.' — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles.a).

· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 4.9, p.267 — superscript 63 = Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. Corroborated by BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B, Vitamin A, p.313: 'Reptiles: 1000-2000 IU/kg p.o. q7-14d.' — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles.a).

· Coles BH. Prescribing for exotic birds. In: Bishop Y, eds. The Veterinary Formulary, 5th ed., Pharmaceutical Press, London, UK; 2001:99-105. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.477 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.11 (Nutritional/Mineral Support and Supplementation Used in Birds).

· Donoghue S. Nutrition. In: Mader DR, eds. Reptile Medicine and Surgery, 2nd ed., Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2006:251-298. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.267 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles.a).

· Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.803 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).

· Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.299. Interval from BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B (Exotic Pets), printed p.299: "Amphibians: 1000 IU/kg p.o. daily for 14 days, then q7d."