Cat & Dog BSA & Dosage Calculator

1) Enter  pet type
2) Enter  pet weight
3) Enter  human dose  optional
4) Click   button
 pet's BSA m2
 pet's dose

Directions

Why would you want to calculate your cat or dog's body surface area (BSA)?  BSA can be used to calculate your pet's energy and fluid requirements as well as drug dosages.

  1. choose pet as either dog or cat (dog is default)
  2. enter your pets weight in pounds or kilograms
  3. choose pounds or kilograms as the weight you entered (pounds is default)
  4. enter a typical drug dosage (optional)
  5. click the Solve button.  Your pet's BSA and drug dosage appear below.

Formulas

Body Surface Area of Cats and Dogs

Km x BW0.67
____________
100

Where Km for cats = 10.4 and Km for dogs = 10.1. Body weight (BW) is measured in kg. BSA is expressed in m2.

Converting Human to Pet Drug Dosage

Pet's BSA
1.73 m2		  x Human Dose

1.73 M2 is the average BSA of an adult human.

Examples

Using the formulas above, what would the BSA of a American cocker spaniel weighing 23 pounds?  Next if humans take 25 milligrams of diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for itching how much would this same cocker spaniel require?

First let's convert the dog's weight in kilograms:

23 pounds / 2.2 = 10.45 kilograms

Next Km = 10.1 because this is a dog.  Now plug your numbers into the formula:

10.1 x 10.450.67
____________  BSA = .486693815653 m2
100

So the dog's BSA = .49 m2 (rounded).  The calculator on this page displays the result in one hundredths (easier on the eyes) but actually uses this long number to calculate drug dosages.

Next calculate the dose of medication using the second formula:

.486693815653 m2 
1.73 m2		  x 25 mg  = 7.03 mg

Using this formula you would give this cocker spaniel 7.03 milligrams of diphenhydramine.

Using the formulas on this page, calculate the BSA of a 7 kilogram cat.  If a person takes 650 milligrams of buffered aspirin how much would this cat take? Please note this is just an example.  Buffered aspirin is not safe on cats.

The cat's weight is already in kilograms and Km = 10.4 because this is a cat just plug the numbers in the formula:

10.4 x 70.67
____________  = .383044319428 m2
100

So the cat's BSA = .38 m2.

Next calculate the dose of medication using the second formula:

.383044319428 m2
1.73 m2		  x 650 mg  = 143.92 mg

Using this formula this cat would take 143.9 milligrams of buffered aspirin.

Warning

For educational purposes only.  Do not use for actual dosing.  This is not the best way to calculate a drug dosage for your pet.  Drug manufactures have specific dosages just for animals.  Drugs that are safe for humans may not be safe for your cat or dog.  For example, Tylenol should not be used on pets as it may damage their liver.

References

    Hand, M. S., Thatcher, C. D., Rimillard, R. L., & Roudebush, P. (Eds.). (2000) Small Animal Clinical Nutrition. (4th ed.). Marceline, MO: Walsworth.

    Gerald, M. C., & O’Bannon, F. V. (1988). Nursing pharmacology and therapeutics. (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

M. Villanueva © 2003

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