ExoticRx · exoticrx.com/drugs/vitamin-d
US brand names:Calcitriol, Cholecalciferol(D3)
Vitamin D is dosed at 1000 IU/kg IM repeat in 1 wk in ball pythons, per 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.268 — 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 - Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles), continuation page. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table - not the page - is the citable location.. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Active form (calcitriol) binds VDR promoting intestinal calcium and phosphorus absorption, bone mineralization, and parathyroid hormone regulation.
Calcitriol: used for renal secondary hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism. Narrow therapeutic index — hypercalcemia risk. Monitor ionized calcium frequently. Do not confuse calcitriol with cholecalciferol.
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 16 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 | 0.0015–0.0035 mcg/kg calcitriol | q24h | Moderate | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy), Calcitriol monograph, printed p.171 (corpus plumb p.198), DOGS - 'Long-term maintenance of hypocalcemia-associated hypoparathyroidism (extra-label)'. - SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook - ISBN 9781394172207 CORRECTED 2026-08-13: the served 0.02-0.03 mcg/kg is 20-30 ng/kg, roughly 10x the printed initial dose and 3-4.5x the printed ceiling. Plumb's 10th ed corpus p.198: "Recommended initial dosage: 1.5 - 3.5 ng/kg PO once daily, preferably in the evening on an empty stomach"; corpus p.199: "do not exceed 6.6 ng/kg/day unless also monitoring ionized calcium". Papich 5th ed corpus p.126: "2.5 ng/kg, PO, once daily". BSAVA corpus p.448: "calcitriol: 1.5-3.5 ng/kg p.o. q24h". The ~20 ng/kg figure that appears on Plumb's corpus p.199 is a PULSED-dosing strategy, not a daily dose. Calcitriol overdose causes hypercalcaemia and nephrocalcinosis in patients who already have chronic kidney disease. |
| Cat (Domestic) | PO | 0.0015–0.0035 mcg/kg calcitriol | q24h |
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Species references:All African Grey Parrot drugsAll Ball Python drugsAll Blue-tongue Skink drugsAll Cat (Domestic) drugsAll Crested Gecko drugsAll Dog (Domestic) drugsAll Dwarf Hamster drugsAll Eastern Box Turtle drugsAll Gerbil drugsAll Green Iguana drugsAll Houston Toad drugsAll Leopard Gecko drugsAll Pet Rat drugsAll Russian Tortoise drugsAll Sulcata Tortoise drugsAll Veiled Chameleon drugs
| Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.198 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.170-171 (corpus PDF p.197-198), Calcitriol monograph, Dosages [LOCATOR CORRECTED 2026-08-12 — the clause previously here named the Vitamin A monograph; this rule doses calcitriol]; 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 CORRECTED 2026-08-13: the served 0.02-0.03 mcg/kg is 20-30 ng/kg, roughly 10x the printed initial dose and 3-4.5x the printed ceiling. Plumb's 10th ed corpus p.198: "Recommended initial dosage: 1.5 - 3.5 ng/kg PO once daily, preferably in the evening on an empty stomach"; corpus p.199: "do not exceed 6.6 ng/kg/day unless also monitoring ionized calcium". Papich 5th ed corpus p.126: "2.5 ng/kg, PO, once daily". BSAVA corpus p.448: "calcitriol: 1.5-3.5 ng/kg p.o. q24h". The ~20 ng/kg figure that appears on Plumb's corpus p.199 is a PULSED-dosing strategy, not a daily dose. Calcitriol overdose causes hypercalcaemia and nephrocalcinosis in patients who already have chronic kidney disease. |