Pocket Pet · Petaurus breviceps · typical adult weight 0.08–0.16 kg
Vitamin K1 is dosed at 5 mg/kg PO q 24 h for 14 days in sugar gliders, per Bodley K. Appendix 4. Drug Formulary. In: Vogelnest L, Portas T, eds. Current Therapy in Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2019:702-727.; Johnson R, Hemsley S. Gliders and possums. In: Vogelnest L, Woods R, eds. Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2008:395-437. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.5 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Sugar Gliders). Vitamin K1 is used in sugar gliders for For intestinal and liver disease; treatment for anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning (maintenance following 2.5 mg/kg SC once), Adjunctive therapy for liver, cardiac, intestinal disease, Anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning - loading dose, must be followed by 5 mg/kg PO q24h. Routes documented in sugar gliders: PO, PO or SC, SC. A typical adult sugar glider weighs 0.08–0.16 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Vitamin K1 in sugar gliders, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Mephyton, AquaMEPHYTON, Veta-K1
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 5 mg/kg | q 24 h for 14 days | For intestinal and liver disease; treatment for anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning (maintenance following 2.5 mg/kg SC once) |
| Bodley K. Appendix 4. Drug Formulary. In: Vogelnest L, Portas T, eds. Current Therapy in Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2019:702-727.; Johnson R, Hemsley S. Gliders and possums. In: Vogelnest L, Woods R, eds. Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2008:395-437. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.5 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Sugar Gliders).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
| PO or SC | 2 mg/kg | q 24–72 h | Adjunctive therapy for liver, cardiac, intestinal disease | Weak | Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Orcutt CJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630.; Ness RD, Johnson-Delaney C. Sugar gliders. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2012:393-410.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
| SC | 2.5 mg/kg | once, then 5 mg/kg PO q24h for at least 14 days | Anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning - loading dose, must be followed by 5 mg/kg PO q24h | Weak | Bodley K. Appendix 4. Drug Formulary. In: Vogelnest L, Portas T, eds. Current Therapy in Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2019:702-727.; Johnson R, Hemsley S. Gliders and possums. In: Vogelnest L, Woods R, eds. Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2008:395-437. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.5 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Sugar Gliders).Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your sugar glider's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Essential cofactor for hepatic carboxylation of clotting factors II, VII, IX, X. Reverses vitamin K-dependent coagulopathy from anticoagulant rodenticides.
Give PO with fatty food (fat-soluble). SC preferred over IM (hematoma risk) or IV (anaphylaxis risk). Long-acting rodenticides (brodifacoum) require 4-6 weeks treatment. Monitor PT.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for sugar gliders may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Vitamin K1 dose ranges in sugar gliders, with cited source references: PO 5 mg/kg q 24 h for 14 days; PO or SC 2 mg/kg q 24–72 h; SC 2.5 mg/kg once, then 5 mg/kg PO q24h for at least 14 days. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Vitamin K1 in sugar gliders: PO, PO or SC, SC.
Vitamin K1 is indicated in sugar gliders for: For intestinal and liver disease; treatment for anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning (maintenance following 2.5 mg/kg SC once), Adjunctive therapy for liver, cardiac, intestinal disease, Anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning - loading dose, must be followed by 5 mg/kg PO q24h.
These are general warnings for Vitamin K1 across species; consult the sugar glider dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Give PO with fatty food (fat-soluble). SC preferred over IM (hematoma risk) or IV (anaphylaxis risk). Long-acting rodenticides (brodifacoum) require 4-6 weeks treatment. Monitor PT.
Why a species-specific page? Vitamin K1 pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in sugar gliders — 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.