VETINUITY
How do I make a dobutamine CRI?
Add 250 mg (20 mL of 12.5 mg/mL) to 250 mL of 0.9% saline or D5W for about 1,000 mcg/mL, or 50 mg to 250 mL for about 200 mcg/mL in small patients. Then set mL/h = dose x kg x 60 / concentration.
● ANSWER
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What is the dobutamine dose for dogs and cats?
Dobutamine is given as an IV CRI at 2-15 mcg/kg/min in dogs, starting at 2.5-5 and titrated, and at 1-5 mcg/kg/min in cats, where higher rates can cause seizures.
● VETINUITY DOBUTAMINE DOSE CALCULATOR
Vetinuity dobutamine dose calculator
Rows are per minute. mL/h = mcg/kg/min x kg x 60 / concentration (mcg/mL); see the worked example below.
● WHAT'S DOCUMENTED
Vetinuity’s dobutamine dose table: dogs receive a constant-rate infusion of 2-15 mcg/kg/min IV, usually started at 2.5-5 mcg/kg/min and raised every 15 to 30 minutes against blood pressure, perfusion and ECG, and cats receive 1-5 mcg/kg/min because higher rates cause seizures. The Vetinuity dobutamine dose calculator above gives the micrograms per minute for the patient; the worked example below turns that into a pump rate. Emergency veterinarian Brian Toncray, DVM, built the Vetinuity clinical assistant, and its CRI tools follow the same arithmetic.
Dobutamine doses
| Indication | Dog | Cat | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiogenic shock or low output with severe CHF | 2.5-10 mcg/kg/min, up to 15-20 | 1-5 mcg/kg/min | IV CRI, titrate q15-30 min |
| DCM in decompensated failure | 5-10 mcg/kg/min, often 24-72 h | Rarely indicated | IV CRI |
| Septic shock with poor contractility after fluids and a vasopressor | 2.5-10 mcg/kg/min | 1-5 mcg/kg/min | IV CRI |
Units: micrograms per kilogram per minute
Dobutamine is the drug most often miscalculated because three unit changes happen at once: milligrams in the vial, micrograms in the dose, minutes in the dose and hours on the pump. Worked example for a 30 kg dog at 5 mcg/kg/min with a 1,000 mcg/mL bag (250 mg in 250 mL): 5 x 30 = 150 mcg/min; x 60 = 9,000 mcg/h; / 1,000 = 9 mL/h. Vials are 12.5 mg/mL (250 mg in 20 mL), and premixed bags in D5W are sold at 1, 2 and 4 mg/mL. Half-life is about 2 minutes, so effects fade within minutes of stopping, and changes in rate show up quickly.
Cautions
Watch the ECG for sinus tachycardia and ventricular ectopy and turn the rate down if they appear. Do not mix dobutamine with sodium bicarbonate or other alkaline solutions, which inactivate it; a pink tint from slow oxidation is acceptable per the label. It raises contractility rather than vascular tone, so it will not fix vasodilatory hypotension on its own, and a beta-blocker on board blunts the response. Rule out hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with outflow obstruction in cats before using an inotrope.
Related: CHF crisis, shock fluid bolus and the CRI calculator.
● SOURCES
- 1. Keene BW, Atkins CE, Bonagura JD, et al. ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2019;33(3):1127-1140. PMID 30974015. Stage C acute therapy, inotropic support. Checked 2026-10-26.
- 2. DailyMed: dobutamine injection label search. Concentrations, compatibility with alkaline solutions. Checked 2026-10-26.
● RELATED ANSWERS
- CHF Crisis in Dogs and Cats: Furosemide Dosing
Vetinuity's CHF crisis table: furosemide 2 mg/kg IV or IM in dogs, repeated hourly up to about 8 mg/kg in 4 hours or run as a 0.66-1 mg/kg/h CRI, plus oxygen and pimobendan.
- Shock Fluid Bolus Volumes for Dogs and Cats
Vetinuity's shock bolus table: isotonic crystalloid 10-20 mL/kg over 15-30 minutes in dogs and 5-10 mL/kg in cats, reassessed after each, or 7.5% hypertonic saline at 3-5 mL/kg in dogs.
- Pimobendan (Vetmedin) Dose for Dogs and Cats
Pimobendan is dosed at 0.25-0.3 mg/kg PO every 12 hours in dogs (0.5 mg/kg/day total on the label), and extra-label at about 0.625-1.25 mg per cat every 12 hours in cats with heart failure.
- Furosemide (Lasix, Salix) Dose for Dogs and Cats
Furosemide for acute congestive heart failure is 2 mg/kg IV or IM in dogs and 1-2 mg/kg in cats, repeated hourly to effect, then about 2 mg/kg PO q12h in dogs and 1 mg/kg PO q12-24h in cats at home.
- Atropine Dose for Dogs and Cats
Atropine is dosed at 0.02-0.04 mg/kg IV, IM or SC for bradycardia, 0.04 mg/kg IV once during CPR for vagally mediated arrest, and 0.2-0.5 mg/kg for organophosphate toxicity, in dogs and cats.
● FAQ
Why is the cat dose so much lower?
Cats develop seizures at dobutamine rates that dogs tolerate, so feline infusions stay at or below about 5 mcg/kg/min.
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