Before you use this conversion
This tool does not recommend a dose or check whether it is safe. Only your veterinarian sets your dog's dose. This tool does one thing: it converts the dose you were given to mg/kg so you can keep an approximate figure in your records. If any number here surprises you, change nothing and call your vet.
Fill in the dose and weight to see it as mg/kg.
Results are rounded to three significant figures. Keep the prescribed dose in your log too, and compare it with what your vet told you. If the figure is unexpected, check with your vet before changing anything.
Why mg/kg is worth writing down
You may see milligrams per kilogram of body weight in veterinary notes or research. A medication label may instead give an amount in tablets or millilitres. Before entering a number here, check:
- mg vs ml: liquid medications have a concentration, and these are different units and cannot be used interchangeably
- tablet strength: 1½ tablets of 60 mg and of 100 mg are very different doses
- pounds vs kilograms: check which unit your scale uses
- weight drift: the dose stayed the same while your dog grew or slimmed down
The mg/kg figure may help when you compare notes with your vet. It cannot detect an incorrect dose or weight entered into this tool.
Why there are no suggested dose ranges
Published veterinary literature does describe dose ranges for medications like phenobarbital, levetiracetam (Keppra) and zonisamide. I haven't included ranges here because the right dose depends on your dog's history, bloodwork and response to treatment. Your vet needs to consider those together. If you want to understand the literature, the IVETF consensus on medical management is open access and linked below. Bring questions from it to your vet.