Antimicrobial Drugs Used in Reptiles
Drug | Dosage | Comments |
|---|---|---|
Acyclovir | 80 mg/kg every 8 hours or 240 mg/kg/day, PO; topical cream every 12 hours | Antiviral |
Amikacin | Corn snake: loading dose 1.7 mg/kg, IM, followed by 26 mcg/kg/hr via osmotic infusion-pump implant Gopher snake: initial dose 5 mg/kg, IM, then 2.5 mg/kg, IM, every 3 days Gopher tortoise: 5 mg/kg, IM, on alternate days American alligator (juvenile): 2.25 mg/kg, IM, every 3–4 days Ball python: 3.5 mg/kg, IM, every 4–5 days 50 mg/10 mL saline × 30 min nebulization bid | Maintain hydration |
Amphotericin B | 0.5–1 mg/kg, intracoelomic, IV, 1–3 days for 14–28 days | Aspergillosis; fluid therapy recommended |
Tortoise: 0.1 mg/kg/day, intrapulmonary, for 28 days 5 mg/150 mL saline for 1 hour of nebulization, twice daily for 7 days | Pulmonary candidiasis | |
Ampicillin | Most species: 10–20 mg/kg, SC, IM, twice daily Tortoises: 50 mg/kg, IM, twice daily | |
Azithromycin | Ball python: 10 mg/kg, PO, every 3–7 days (3 days for skin infections, 5 days for respiratory tract, 7 days for liver and kidneys) | |
Carbenicillin | 200–400 mg/kg/day, IM | |
Ceftazidime | 20–40 mg/kg, SC, IM, IV, every 2–3 days | |
Ceftiofur | Tortoises: 2.2–4 mg/kg/day, IM Snakes: 2.2 mg/kg, IM, on alternate days Lizards: 5 mg/kg/day, IM, SC | |
Cefuroxime | 100 mg/kg/day, IM, for 10 days at 30°C | |
Chloramphenicol | Indigo, rat, king snakes: 50 mg/kg, SC, twice daily | |
Boids, moccasins: 50 mg/kg/day, SC Rattlesnakes: 50 mg/kg, SC, every 2 days Red-bellied water snakes: 50 mg/kg, SC, every 3 days | ||
Most species: 20–40 mg/kg, IM, every day | ||
Ciprofloxacin | Most species: 10 mg/kg, PO, on alternate days Pythons: 11 mg/kg, PO, every 2–3 days | |
Clarithromycin | Desert tortoise: 15 mg/kg, PO, every 2–3 days | Mycoplasma |
Clindamycin | 5 mg/kg, PO, twice daily | |
Clotrimazole | Topical | Fungal dermatitis |
Doxycycline | Most species: 5–10 mg/kg/day, PO Hermann's tortoises: 50 mg/kg, IM, then 25 mg/kg, every 3 days | |
Enrofloxacin | Most species: 5-10 mg/kg/day, IM, PO | IM injection causes necrosis, and after a single injection, oral therapy is required. |
Nasal flush 50 mg/250 mL sterile water; 1–3 mL/nares daily to every other day | ||
Burmese python (juvenile): 10 mg/kg, IM, initial dosage, then 5 mg/kg, IM, every 48 hours. Pseudomonas: 10 mg/kg, IM, every 48 hours | IM injection likely causes necrosis, and consideration should be given to single injection followed by oral administration | |
Hermann’s tortoise: 10 mg/kg/day, IM | IM injection likely causes necrosis, and consideration should be given to single injection followed by oral administration | |
Monitor lizards: 10 mg/kg, IM, every 5 days | ||
Indian star tortoise: 5 mg/kg, IM, once to twice daily | IM injection likely causes necrosis, and consideration should be given to single injection followed by oral administration | |
Crocodilians: 5 mg/kg, IV, every 2–3 days | ||
Fluconazole | Lizards: 5 mg/kg/day, PO Sea turtles: 21 mg/kg, SC, once; then 10 mg/kg, SC, 5 days later | |
Sea turtles: 21 mg/kg, SC, once; then 10 mg/kg, SC, 5 days later | ||
Gentamicin | American alligator: 1.75 mg/kg, IM, every 3–4 days at 22° C | Maintain hydration, nephrotoxicity reported |
Painted turtle: 10 mg/kg, IM, on alternate days at 26° C | Maintain hydration, nephrotoxicity reported | |
Red-eared terrapins: 6 mg/kg, IM, every 25 days | Maintain hydration, nephrotoxicity reported | |
Gopher snakes: 2.5 mg/kg, IM, every 3 days at 24° C | Maintain hydration, nephrotoxicity reported | |
Itraconazole | Chameleons: 5-10 mg/kg, PO, every 1-2 days | Fungal dermatitis |
Spiny lizards: 23.5 mg/kg/day, PO, for 3 days, with persistent drug concentration for 6 days | ||
Snakes: 10 mg/kg/day, PO | ||
Sea turtles: 5 mg/kg/day, PO, or 15 mg/kg, PO, every 72 hours | ||
Ketoconazole | Crocodilians: 50 mg/kg/day, PO | |
Most species: 15–30 mg/kg/day, PO, for 14–28 days | ||
Lincomycin | 10 mg/kg/day, PO; 5 mg/kg, IM, once to twice daily | |
Marbofloxacin | Ball python: 10 mg/kg, PO, every 48 hours | |
Metronidazole | Bacterial infections, 20–50 mg/kg, PO, every 1–2 days | Maximal dose for tricolor snake, king snake, indigo snake, or Uracoan rattlesnake, is 40 mg/kg |
Neomycin | 10 mg/kg/day, PO | Oral only, not to be given systemically |
Nystatin | Enteric fungal conditions in turtles: 100,000 U/kg/day, PO, for 10 days | |
Oxytetracycline | Most species: 5–10 mg/kg/day, IM, PO | Pain, irritation, and inflammation at injection site |
American alligator: 10 mg/kg, IV, IM, every 4–5 days | Mycoplasmosis | |
Piperacillin | 50–100 mg/kg, IM, every 12 days | Fluid therapy recommended |
Polymixin B | Topical | Abrasions, wounds |
Sulfamethoxydiazine | 80 mg/kg, SC, IM, then 40 mg/kg/day, for 5–7 days | Coccidial infections |
Tobramycin | Chelonians: 10 mg/kg, IM, every 1–2 days Most species: 2.5 mg/kg, IM, every 1–3 days | Potentially nephrotoxic, fluid therapy recommended |
Trimethoprim-sulfa | 30 mg/kg/day, PO, IM, IV | |
Tylosin | 5 mg/kg/day, IM | Mycoplasmosis |
Voriconazole | 10 mg/kg, PO |