Note that all of these doses are approximations
and must be titrated to the animal’s strain, age,
sex and individual responses. Significant departures from
these doses should be discussed with a veterinarian. Doses
will also vary depending on what other drugs are being
administered concurrently.
All doses are listed as milligrams
per kilogram (mg/kg) unless otherwise noted.
| DRUG NAME |
DOSE (mg/kg) & ROUTE |
FREQUENCY |
NOTES |
| Inhalation
anesthetics |
Recommended:
Isoflurane or Halothane or Sevoflurane
|
1-3% inhalant to effect (up
to 5% for induction). Up to 8% Sevoflurane |
Whenever general anesthesia
is required |
Concurrent preemptive analgesia
is recommended for survival surgery
Must use precision vaporizer.
|
| Nitrous oxide (N2O) |
Up to 60% with oxygen |
Whenever deep sedation or general
anesthesia is required |
Not acceptable for surgery as
sole agent – usually used with inhalant anesthetic
to potentiate effect and lower required dose |
| Ketamine combinations |
| Ketamine alone |
Not recommended for dogs |
|
|
Recommended:
Ketamine-Midazolam
|
5-10 + 0.1-0.2 IV, IM or SC
(in same syringe) |
As needed |
May not produce surgical-plane
anesthesia for major procedures, but may be useful
for restraint. Note that IM Ketamine combinations often
sting upon injection. |
| Ketamine-Diazepam |
6 - 11 + 0.05 – 0.2 IV
(in same syringe) |
As needed |
May not produce surgical-plane
anesthesia for major procedures. |
| Ketamine-Medetomidine |
5 - 10 + 0.6 – 1.0 IM
or SC (in same syringe) |
As needed |
May not produce surgical-plane
anesthesia for major procedures. If redosing, use ketamine
alone. May be partially reversed with Atipamezole. Note
that IM Ketamine combinations often sting upon injection. |
| Reversal agents |
| Atipamezole |
~ 1.0 subcutaneous or IV |
Any time medetomidine or xylazine
has been used |
More specific for medetomidine
than for xylazine (as a general rule, Atipamezole is
dosed at the same volume as Medetomidine, though they
are manufactured at different concentrations). |
| Other injectable
anesthetics and tranquilizers |
| Sodium pentobarbital (Nembutal) |
20 - 60 IV single or intermittent
bolus, or
2-20 mg/kg/hr IV continuous infusion
|
Recommended for terminal/acute
procedures only, with booster doses as needed. Occasionally
used on survival basis when cortical evoked responses
are being measured. |
Consider supplemental analgesia
(opioid or NSAID) for invasive procedures |
| Sodium thiopental (Pentothal) |
13 – 26 IV |
As induction agent, prior to
general anesthesia with pentobarbital or inhalant |
Consider supplemental analgesia
(opioid or NSAID) for invasive procedures |
Recommended:
Propofol
|
16 - 22 IV |
As induction agent, prior to
general anesthesia with pentobarbital or inhalant |
Respiratory depression upon
induction is possible. |
| Fentanyl-Droperidol |
~ 2 µg + ~0.1 mg/kg SC |
Any time sedation is required
or as pre-surgical-anesthetic |
Deep sedation with pain relief;
not surgical plane of anesthesia |
| Acepromazine |
0.03 – 0.2 IM or SC. Maximum
of 3 mg, even for larger animals. |
May be used whenever ketamine
combinations are used |
Usually only used in conjunction
with anesthetics such as ketamine. Acepromazine is
a tranquilizer and does not confer analgesia. |
| Opioid analgesia |
Recommended:
Buprenorphine
|
0.005 - 0.1 SC |
Used pre-operatively for preemptive
analgesia and post-operatively every 6-12 hour |
For major procedures, require
more frequent dosing than 12 hour intervals. Consider
multi-modal analgesia with a NSAID |
Recommended:
Butorphanol
|
0.1 – 0.5 SC |
Used pre-operatively for preemptive
analgesia and post-operatively every 4-6 hour |
Consider multi-modal analgesia
with a NSAID |
Recommended:
Oxymorphone
|
0.01 – 0.2 |
Used pre-operatively for preemptive
analgesia and post-operatively every 3-4 hour, or for ‘rescue
analgesia’ when buprenorphine is not potent enough |
More potent but shorter duration
than buprenorphine or butorphanol. |
| Fentanyl patch |
50 µg/hr by dermal patch |
Place patch 24 hours in advance
of surgery and maintain for up to 3 days |
When severe post-surgical pain
is anticipated. |
| Non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory analgesia (NSAID) -- Note that prolonged
use my cause renal, gastrointestinal, or other problems |
Recommended:
Carprofen
|
2 - 4 SC or PO |
Used pre-operatively for preemptive
analgesia and post-operatively every 24 hour for up
to 4 days. |
Depending on the procedure,
may be used as sole analgesic, or as multi-modal analgesia
with buprenorphine. |
| Meloxicam |
0.2 – 0.3 PO, IM or SC |
Used pre-operatively for preemptive
analgesia and post-operatively every 24 hour for up
to 4 days. |
Depending on the procedure,
may be used as sole analgesic, or as multi-modal analgesia
with buprenorphine. |
| Ketoprofen |
~ 1.0 – 2.0 SC |
Used pre-operatively for preemptive
analgesia and post-operatively every 24 hour for up
to 4 days |
Depending on the procedure,
may be used as sole analgesic, or as multi-modal analgesia
with buprenorphine. |
| Ketorolac |
0.5 - 1.0 SC |
Used pre-operatively for preemptive
analgesia and post-operatively every 24 hour for up
to 4 days. |
Depending on the procedure,
may be used as sole analgesic, or as multi-modal analgesia
with buprenorphine. |
| Local anesthetic/analgesics
(lidocaine and bupivicaine may be combined in one syringe
for rapid onset and long duration analgesia) |
| Lidocaine hydrochloride |
May dilute to 0.5 -1% (=10mg/ml).
May be mixed in same syringe with bupivicaine.
SC or intra-incisional
|
Use locally before making surgical
incision |
Faster onset than bupivicaine
but short (<1 hour) duration of action |
| Bupivicaine |
May dilute to 0.25 – 0.5%,
May be mixed in same syringe with lidocaine.
SC or intra-incisional
|
Use locally before making surgical
incision |
Slower onset than lidocaine but
longer (~ 4-8 hour) duration of action |
