Awesome website for calculating accurate dosages for medications!

[PiddlePod]

I've noticed that there are dozens of posts in the Health & General Care forum requesting help with calculating medication dosages. I wanted to share an awesome site with everyone that I have personally used myself many times when I was in a pinch and needed to calculate accurate dosages for some of the medications that my ratties have had to take over the years (and to double check my vets dosages for accuracy). The site is called VPR Cloud and I strongly suggest to anyone who has rats in their care to bookmark it!

Here is the site: http://vprcloud.com/tools/dosage-calculator/

You can choose different units of measurement as appropriate for dosage, weight of the rat and the concentration of the medication. It's an awesome site and I can't even remember how I stumbled on it but I'm so glad that I did. I've bookmarked it and have been using it since 2017.

I hope this the site is as helpful to others as it has been for me!

 

[lilspaz68]

I double checked the calculations on this site after changing the concentration to mg/ml. It works. I use something similar I created with excel .
The only problem for most people is knowing what range to use for the recommended dose. For eg. Antibiotics can have a slight range but usually is best at a confirmed dose. I use 15 my/kg for Baytril, and 30 mg/kg for amoxicillin, 20 mg/kg for clavamox and 10 mg/kg for doxy. As for Metacam this can be a bit trickier. Post-op dose for surgery I use 1 mg/kg, unless it's a neuter then I use 8 mg/kg. If I'm trying for inflammation or light pain/swelling control I'd use 0.5 mg/kg.

 

[PiddlePod]

I double checked the calculations on this site after changing the concentration to mg/ml. It works. I use something similar I created with excel .
The only problem for most people is knowing what range to use for the recommended dose. For eg. Antibiotics can have a slight range but usually is best at a confirmed dose. I use 15 my/kg for Baytril, and 30 mg/kg for amoxicillin, 20 mg/kg for clavamox and 10 mg/kg for doxy. As for Metacam this can be a bit trickier. Post-op dose for surgery I use 1 mg/kg, unless it's a neuter then I use 8 mg/kg. If I'm trying for inflammation or light pain/swelling control I'd use 0.5 mg/kg.

Quick note...I think that VPR Cloud site might have a couple other veterinary web apps listed towards the bottom of the page but I haven't checked them out yet, so not sure if they're useful or not.

That's awesome having that Excel spreadsheet calculator on hand and even cooler that you created it yourself! Being able to put together stuff like that in Excel is no easy task so I have much appreciation for those who know how to use Excel the "right" way (I've only used it for making tables or organized lists lol, not the right way).

I'm actually going to jot down all of those dosages you gave, these are great. It's difficult sometimes finding the accurate dosages for some of these meds since there are so many references out there and all of them have different suggestions.

Quick sort of off topic question for you! What dosages do you use for Azithromycin? I have a Google books version of the exotics formulary and sometimes reference that, but one of the senior veterinarians at the exotic office I take my boys to had prescribed azithromycin at 0.15 ml twice a day at a concentration of 250mg/ml for the azithromycin which puts the dosage at about 37.82mg/kg. I've looked at just about every reference on azithromycin dosages and I haven't seen anything out there recommending a high dosage like that. The veterinarian who prescribed that dosage is active in attending exotics conferences all over the world and he had mentioned that this was a new recommended dosage that was discussed at one of these conferences in England back in early 2019. Any thoughts on this dosage or have you heard anything about the recommended dosages changing recently?

I've been really curious about this for a while and what better person to ask than the rat guru? Thanks in advance!

 

[lilspaz68]

I use 20 mg/kg SID (Once a day) for zithro as I've found this to be very successful.

From ratguide, I use the 2nd recommendation
Dosage Recommendations
4 mg/lb to 8 mg/lb BID first 14 days then SID for additional 14 days if needed. 4
Safe for use in pregnant does and rats under 4 months.
or

15 mg/kg to 30 mg/kg, PO, q24hrs 34 38

 

[ViciousCurse]

Just Favorited this website! Thanks for that!

 

[PiddlePod]

Just Favorited this website! Thanks for that!

Certainly!

 

[PiddlePod]

I use 20 mg/kg SID (Once a day) for zithro as I've found this to be very successful.

From ratguide, I use the 2nd recommendation
Dosage Recommendations
4 mg/lb to 8 mg/lb BID first 14 days then SID for additional 14 days if needed. 4
Safe for use in pregnant does and rats under 4 months.
or

15 mg/kg to 30 mg/kg, PO, q24hrs 34 38

Thank you for the azithromycin dosages!

 

[jorats]

I double checked the calculations on this site after changing the concentration to mg/ml. It works. I use something similar I created with excel .
The only problem for most people is knowing what range to use for the recommended dose. For eg. Antibiotics can have a slight range but usually is best at a confirmed dose. I use 15 my/kg for Baytril, and 30 mg/kg for amoxicillin, 20 mg/kg for clavamox and 10 mg/kg for doxy. As for Metacam this can be a bit trickier. Post-op dose for surgery I use 1 mg/kg, unless it's a neuter then I use 8 mg/kg. If I'm trying for inflammation or light pain/swelling control I'd use 0.5 mg/kg.

If you have time, could you write up the dosages you recommend for medications for rats under the pinned post of the calculator?

 

[lilspaz68]

Sure

 

[Dena]

OK dumb question, but piddlepod, do you work in the medical field? LOL. You have a lot of knowledge on meds, and medical terms. Not trying to pry, just curious.

 

[PiddlePod]

Not a dumb question at all! I wish I could say that I did! However I do not. I do have past experience with medical and critical care for animals (mostly small animals, rodents) in a laboratory setting but that was during college along with some random volunteer jobs in a similar setting over the years, but I don't have a degree in human or animal sciences and medicine. I think I've missed my calling to become an exotics veterinarian though. I always wanted to pursue that but what deterred me was the thought of having to go through the sadder events like having to euthanize companion animals...I get all teared up every time I am at the vet with one of my pets and I see someone going through something like that. So, instead I ended up studying CS which gave me an engineering background and I currently work as an apps developer. Looking back, if I could go back in time I would definitely have changed my career path and gone on to study veterinary medicine so I could help animals and their people.

I am incredibly grateful and I graciously accept such a kind compliment though! Thank you. ❤