Which size of patients is ketamine particularly suitable for?

• A. Large adult dogs over 20 kg
• B. Cats over 6 kg
• C. Small patients less than 7 kilograms
• D. Horses

Answer: (C)

Ketamine is especially useful for tiny patients because it can be given by intramuscular injection for a quick, reliable onset, and it tends to preserve spontaneous breathing and protective airway reflexes while providing analgesia. This makes induction safer in small dogs and cats, where airway management and IV access can be more challenging. Its tendency to cause less respiratory depression at typical sedative doses compared with other induction agents adds a wide safety margin for animals under 7 kg. In practice, it’s commonly paired with a benzodiazepine to smooth the experience and recovery, which is particularly helpful in very small patients.