CLIN101B: INTRODUCTION TO VETERINARY CLINICS

DRUG COMPUTATIONS (QUESTIONS, SOLUTIONS, AND ANSWERS)

Dr. JAMES MIRANDILLA, DVM

QUESTION 1 weighing 60 kg. if the tablets available were 30 mg strength, how

many tablets does it need?”
● A 33 lbs dog has to be treated with a drug at a dose of 10 µg/kg.
calculate the amount of drug required SOLUTION AND ANSWER FOR 4

SOLUTION AND ANSWER FOR 1 ● If the animal to be treated weighed 60 kg and the dose rate remained
the same at 3mg/kg of body weight, the requirement 60kg x 3mg/kg=
● First convert dogs weight to kg 180 mg
33 lbs ● If the tablets contained 30mg of drug, then the number of tablets
→ = 15 kgs
2.2 kg → = 180mg/ 30 mg= 6 tablets
● next multiply the weight in kg by the dose rate
● therefore, QUESTION 5
→ dose= 15kg x 10 µg= 150 µg
● The tablets are to be given to an animal weighing 60 kg. if the tablets
QUESTION 2 were 20 mg in strength, how many tablets would be required?
→ “A drug is available in tablets which should be administered at a
● A drug is available in tablets which should be administered at a dose dose rate of 3mg/kg. the tablets are to be given to an animal
rate of 3mg/kg. the tablets are to be given to an animal weighing 20 kg. weighing 60 kg. if the tablets available were 20 mg strength, how
if the tablets available were 30 mg strength, how many tablets does it many tablets does it need?”
need?
SOLUTION AND ANSWER FOR 5
SOLUTION AND ANSWER FOR 2
● If the animal to be treated weighed 60 kg and the dose rate remained
● BW of animal= 20 kg the same at 3mg/kg of body weight, the requirement 60kg x 3mg/kg=
● Dose rate= 3mg/kg 180 mg
● Dose reqr’d= 20kg x 3mg/kg= 60 mg ● For a drug requirement of 180 mg using 20mg strength tablets, the
● Each tablet contains 30 mg of the drug number of tablets required:
● Therefore number of tablets required: → 180 mg/ 20mg= 9 tablets
60 mg
→ = 𝟐 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬
30 mg QUESTION 6

● A 20 kg animal requires a drug at a rate of 5 mg/kg/ 24 hours. The drug

QUESTION 3 is supplied as a 50 mg tablet. How many tablets are required for 7 days
of treatment?
● From the same problem solving No. 2 what would be the requirement if
the tablet strength were 60 mg?
→ “A drug is available in tablets which should be administered at a SOLUTION AND ANSWER FOR 6
dose rate of 3mg/kg. the tablets are to be given to an animal
weighing 20 kg. if the tablets available were 60 mg strength, how ● BW of animal= 20kgs
many tablets does it need?” ● Dose rate= 5mg/kg/24 hours
● Requirement= 20kg x 5mg/kg= 100 mg
● Each tablet contains 50 mg
SOLUTION AND ANSWER FOR 3 ● Therefore,
→ 2 tablets (100mg/ 50 mg) are required per day
● If the tablets were double strength, → Consecutively, 14 tablets would be required for a 7 day course
● BW of animal= 20 kg
● Dose rate= 3mg/kg QUESTION 7
● Each tablet contains 60 mg of the drug
● Therefore number of tablets required: ● A 280 kg animal is receiving 4 tablets per day, for 7 days. The total daily
→ 20 kg x 3mg/kg= 60 mg= 1 tablet dose is 560 mg. what is the:
→ Weight of drug in each tablet
QUESTION 4 → Dose rate in mg/kg/ 24 hours
→ Total drug weight, in grams, administered over the course of 7 days
● The tablets are to be given to an animal weighing 60 kg. if the tablets
were 30 mg strength, how many tablets would be required?
→ “A drug is available in tablets which should be administered at a
dose rate of 3mg/kg. the tablets are to be given to an animal

CLIN101B PULIDO, JIANNE DAPHNE 1 of 2

 SOLUTION AND ANSWER FOR 7
QUESTION 11
● BW of animal= 280 kgs
● Tablets given per day (24hr period)= 4 tablets ● An animal is being treated with two 15 mg tablets every 8 hours. The
● Daily dose of drug= 560 mg dose rate is 5mg/kg/day. Which of the following is the weight of the
→ Tablet strength= 560 mg/ 4 tablets= 140mg/ tablet animal in kg?
→ Dose rate is weight of drug administered in 24 hr pd/ BW= → 12
→ 16
560mg/280kg= 2mg/kg/day
→ 18
→ Total weight od drug= 7 days x 560 mg= 3920 mg= 3.92 g → 20

QUESTION 8 SOLUTION AND ANSWER

● A 1kg kitten requires 60 mg/kg/ day of a drug. The kitten has already had ● Total amount of drug administered daily to the animal
8 tablets over the last 4 days. The total course of treatment requires an → = 2 tablets x 15 mg = 30 mg every 8 hours
intake of 0.3 g. how many more days has the treatment to last before it → = 90 mg per day
is complete? Each tablet contains 30 mg of drug. ● Dose rate = 5mg/kg/day
● To find weight of animal:
90 mg per day
SOLUTION AND ANSWER → = 𝟏𝟖 𝐤𝐠
50𝐼 𝑘𝑔 𝐼 𝑑𝑎𝑦

● BW of kitten= 1kg
● Dosage rate 60mg/kg/day= 0.3 g
QUESTION 12
→ = (0.3 x 1000) mg
→ 300 mg
● A 50 kg animal is being treated with 4ml of antibiotic suspension every
● To find the number of tablets = 300mg/ 30 mg tablet
6 hours. Each ml of suspension contains 5mg of drug. Calculate the
→ = 10 tablets
dose rate in mg/kg/day.
● 8 tablets have already been administered over the last 4 days ( i.e. 1 bid)
● One more day will complete the prescribed course.
SOLUTION AND ANSWER
QUESTION 9
● Weight of antibiotic per ml= 5mg
● No. of ml administered every 6 hours= 4ml
● How many tablets of 2.5 mg strength should be administered per dose
● Weight of antibiotic ingested every 6 hours= 5mg x 4ml
to a 5kg dog, if the dose rate is 4 mg/kg/day and the tablets are given
→ = 20 mg
B.I.D?
● Weight of antibiotic ingested every 24 hours = 20 mg q.i.d= mg
80 mg per day
SOLUTION AND ANSWER → Dose rate =
50 𝑘𝑔
= 𝟏. 𝟔 𝐦𝐠/kg/d

● BW of dog= 5kg
● Dose rate= 4mg/kg/day
● Dose= 4mg x 5mg/day
→ = 20 mg/ day
● Tablets contain 2.5 mg of the drug therefore number of tablets per day=
20 mg/ 2.5 mg= 8 tablets
● Therefore 4 tablets should be given b.i.d

QUESTION 10

● A 1500 g kitten needs 12 mg of drug every 12 hours given in a 4mg tablet

form b.i.d. calculate the dosage rate in mg/kg/day.

SOLUTION AND ANSWER

● BW of kitten= 1500 g/1000= 1.5kg

● Required amount of drug per day= 12mg x 2
→ = 24mg/ day
→ Therefore dose rate= 16mg/ kg/ day
● NOTE: that tablet strength is irrelevant to the calculation and is not
required as part of final answer, as only the dose rate is required.
Questions such as this, which may contain unnecessary additional
information, could arise in examination

CLIN101B DRUG COMPUTATIONS 2 of 2