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Albumin Dose Calculator for Dogs & Cats

Hypoalbuminaemia: human serum albumin and canine albumin dosing, infusion rate and predicted response

Clinical decision-support tool · By Dr Duncan Houston

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Free veterinary albumin dose calculator for hypoalbuminaemia (hypoalbuminemia) in dogs and cats: albumin deficit formula or g/kg dosing, volumes of human serum albumin (25%, 20%, 5%, 4%) or canine-specific albumin (16%, 5%) to draw up, infusion rate, predicted albumin response and the safety checks that matter for each product.

Patient & Order

Species

Body weight

Current serum albumin

Dosing method

Target albumin g/dL

Deficit (g) = 10 × (target − current, g/dL) × kg × 0.3. Most protocols aim for 2.0 to 2.5 g/dL (20 to 25 g/L), not a normal value.

Albumin product

Give over

Advanced: patient risk factors, daily cap & bottle size

Previous human albumin exposure (ever)

Volume-sensitive patient (cardiac disease, oliguria, pulmonary oedema)

Cap today's dose at 2 g/kg

Bottle / vial volume (mL) for the count

Human albumin bottle sizes vary by market (25%: 20, 50, 100 mL; 20%: 50, 100 mL; 5% and 4%: 250, 500 mL). Canine albumin is counted as 5 g vials.

Result

Volume to give

– mL total

Albumin dose

–

g total

Infusion rate

–

mL/hr

Vials / bottles

–

to draw from

Predicted albumin, first recheck

–

g/dL (estimate)

Predicted response

Total body deficit (formula)–

Early rise (2 to 6 h, estimate)–

After redistribution (24 to 48 h)–

Plasma volume expansion (hyperoncotic)–

Plasma containing the same albumin (≈ 3 g/dL)–

How to use it: clinical notes

When to give albumin

Colloid osmotic pressure falls enough for oedema and effusion below about 2.0 g/dL (20 g/L); below 1.5 g/dL (15 g/L) is severe. Numbers alone do not decide it. Treat when hypotension, oedema, effusion, poor wound healing or gut dysfunction can be pinned on low COP, and always treat the cause: protein-losing enteropathy or nephropathy, hepatic failure, sepsis and peritonitis, burns, haemorrhage and dilution.

Which product

DOGS Canine albumin (lyophilised, 5 g vials, reconstituted to 16% or 5%) is species-specific and preferred where available. Human albumin (25% or 20% hyperoncotic, 5% or 4% iso-oncotic) is a foreign protein: one treatment course only. Plasma is a poor albumin source, roughly 22 mL/kg per 0.5 g/dL rise (45 mL/kg per 1 g/dL), so it suits coagulopathy more than hypoalbuminaemia.

The formula

DEFICIT Deficit (g) = 10 × (target − current, g/dL) × kg × 0.3. It estimates the total body deficit (about 0.3 L/kg of albumin space), so it often exceeds what is given in one day. Usual practice is 0.5 to 1 g/kg, up to about 2 g/kg per day, then recheck and repeat if needed. Aim for 2.0 to 2.5 g/dL, not a normal value.

Rate

25% human albumin has been given at 2 mL/kg over 2 h for hypotension and as a CRI of 0.7 to 1.7 mL/kg/hr (maximum 25 mL/kg over 72 h). Canine albumin: 450 to 800 mg/kg over 4 to 8 h; the manufacturer suggests no faster than about 1 mL/min in normovolaemic patients. Iso-oncotic 5% and 4% solutions carry the same albumin in 5 to 6 times the volume, so run them slower per gram.

Volume overload

Hyperoncotic albumin pulls interstitial fluid into the vessels: 25% expands plasma volume by roughly 3 to 5 times the infused volume. Cut concurrent crystalloids, and watch respiratory rate and effort, lung sounds, blood pressure, body weight and urine output. Extreme caution with cardiac disease, oliguria or anuria, and existing pulmonary oedema.

Human albumin reactions

Type I (acute): facial swelling, urticaria, vomiting, hypotension, collapse. Stop the infusion and treat as anaphylaxis. Type III (delayed, 5 to 14 days): vasculitis, polyarthritis, oedema, lameness, kidney injury, reported even in healthy dogs. Finish the course within about 3 to 5 days and never re-expose a patient that has had human albumin before.

Cats

Evidence is thin. Human albumin (5% and 25%) has been used in cats with reactions such as fever, gut signs, tremors and facial swelling in a proportion of patients. Canine albumin in cats is a xenotransfusion reported in a handful of cases (0.7 to 2 g/kg), with one suspected circulatory overload. Use only when the benefit is clear, run slowly, monitor as for a transfusion.

Recheck

Measure albumin, total protein and COP if available at 2 to 6 h and again at 24 h. The early value reflects the plasma pool and settles as albumin redistributes over 24 to 48 h. Stop at target: pushing albumin into the normal range adds volume and cost and blunts the liver's stimulus to make its own.

Product concentrations vary

This tool assumes label concentrations: 25% = 250 mg/mL, 20% = 200 mg/mL, 5% = 50 mg/mL, 4% = 40 mg/mL, and a 5 g canine albumin vial made up to 16% (30 mL diluent) or 5% (100 mL). Brands differ on diluent (some specify 0.9% saline and forbid sterile water) and on reconstitution volumes. Check the vial label and your final volume before drawing up.

How the albumin dose calculator works

The albumin deficit formula

The calculator uses the standard veterinary formula: albumin deficit (g) = 10 × (target albumin − current albumin, in g/dL) × body weight (kg) × 0.3. The factor of 10 converts g/dL to g/L and 0.3 L/kg is the approximate distribution space of albumin, so the result is a whole-body deficit rather than the amount needed to change the plasma value alone. Enter values in g/dL or g/L and the tool converts automatically.

Worked example. A 20 kg dog with a serum albumin of 1.5 g/dL (15 g/L) and a target of 2.0 g/dL: 10 × 0.5 × 20 × 0.3 = 30 g of albumin. That is 120 mL of 25% human serum albumin (250 mg/mL), 150 mL of 20%, 600 mL of 5%, or about 188 mL of 16% canine albumin (six 5 g vials). Given over 4 hours, 120 mL of 25% runs at 30 mL/hr, or 1.5 mL/kg/hr.

Dose per kg

Switch to Dose per kg to work from an empirical dose instead. Published doses cluster around 0.5 to 1 g/kg (for example 0.8 g/kg of canine albumin in septic peritonitis, or 2 mL/kg of 25% HSA, which is 0.5 g/kg), with about 2 g/kg per day as a practical ceiling. The tool converts g/kg into grams, millilitres of the chosen product, an hourly rate and an estimated albumin rise, and by default caps a formula-derived dose at 2 g/kg per day.

Products and concentrations

Human serum albumin is supplied as hyperoncotic 25% (250 mg/mL, common in North America) and 20% (200 mg/mL, common in the UK, Europe, Australia and Asia), and as iso-oncotic 5% and 4% solutions. Lyophilised (lyophilized) canine-specific albumin comes as 5 g vials reconstituted to about 16% for volume support or 5% for albumin replacement. A custom option covers other concentrations, such as 10% or 15% reconstitutions.

Albumin products at a glance (label concentrations; confirm against the vial in your hand)
Product	Concentration	Oncotic effect	Typical dose	Rate notes
Human serum albumin 25%	250 mg/mL (25 g/100 mL)	Hyperoncotic, about 5 times plasma	2 mL/kg (0.5 g/kg) over 2 h for hypotension; deficit replacement 0.5 to 2 g/kg per day	CRI 0.7 to 1.7 mL/kg/hr; maximum 25 mL/kg over 72 h; single course only
Human serum albumin 20%	200 mg/mL (20 g/100 mL)	Hyperoncotic, about 4 times plasma	Same grams as 25%; 25% more volume per gram	As for 25%; single course only
Human serum albumin 5% or 4%	50 or 40 mg/mL	Iso-oncotic (near plasma)	Same grams; 5 to 6 times the volume	Volume load sets the pace; watch for overload
Canine albumin 16% (5 g vial + 30 mL)	About 160 mg/mL	Hyperoncotic, about 3 times plasma	0.45 to 1 g/kg (about 3 to 6 mL/kg); maximum 2 g/kg per day	About 1 mL/min or slower in normovolaemic patients; 1 g/kg over 2 h tolerated in healthy dogs
Canine albumin 5% (5 g vial + 100 mL)	About 50 mg/mL	Iso-oncotic	0.45 to 0.8 g/kg (about 9 to 16 mL/kg) over 4 to 8 h	800 mg/kg over 6 h in septic peritonitis; peripheral line acceptable
Fresh frozen plasma	About 25 to 35 mg/mL albumin	Iso-oncotic	About 22 mL/kg per 0.5 g/dL rise	Poor albumin source; better suited to coagulopathy

Reading the predicted response

The early rise (2 to 6 hours) is an estimate of +0.4 to +0.8 g/dL per 1 g/kg, anchored on healthy dogs given 1 g/kg of 16% canine albumin, whose serum albumin rose by a mean of 0.48 g/dL at 2 hours. The value after redistribution uses the same 0.3 L/kg space as the deficit formula. Ongoing losses from protein-losing enteropathy or nephropathy, peritonitis or burns blunt both, so the numbers guide a recheck rather than replace one.

Albumin dosing FAQ for dogs and cats

How do you calculate an albumin dose for a dog?

Estimate the deficit with 10 × (target − current albumin in g/dL) × kg × 0.3, then divide the grams by the product concentration (250 mg/mL for 25% HSA, 160 mg/mL for 16% canine albumin) to get millilitres. Most clinicians give part of that deficit, usually 0.5 to 1 g/kg and no more than about 2 g/kg per day, then recheck albumin and colloid osmotic pressure.

How much 25% human albumin can a dog have?

Published canine protocols describe 2 mL/kg of 25% HSA (0.5 g/kg) over about 2 hours for hypotension, or a constant rate infusion of 0.7 to 1.7 mL/kg/hr up to a total of 25 mL/kg over 72 hours. Because human albumin is a foreign protein, treatment is kept to a single course over a few days and is not repeated later in life.

What is the dose of canine albumin?

The manufacturer suggests 450 to 800 mg/kg over 4 to 8 hours, states that about 450 mg/kg is needed to raise serum albumin by 0.5 g/dL, and sets a maximum of 2 g/kg per day. The septic peritonitis study used 800 mg/kg of a 5% solution over 6 hours, and healthy dogs tolerated repeated 1 g/kg doses of 16% over 2 hours.

Can you give human albumin to cats?

It has been done, mostly with 5% or 25% HSA, but the evidence is limited and reactions such as fever, gastrointestinal signs, tremors and facial swelling were recorded in a proportion of cats. Use it only when the benefit is clear, run it slowly with transfusion-style monitoring, give a single course and do not re-expose the cat. Canine albumin in cats is a xenotransfusion reported only in a handful of cases.

How fast can albumin be infused?

Hyperoncotic solutions pull interstitial fluid into the circulation, so they are given slowly: 25% HSA at 0.7 to 1.7 mL/kg/hr as a CRI, or 2 mL/kg over 2 hours when treating hypotension. The canine albumin insert suggests no faster than about 1 mL/min in normovolaemic patients. Iso-oncotic 5% and 4% solutions carry the same albumin in 5 to 6 times the volume, so the volume load rather than the oncotic pull sets the pace. Reduce concurrent crystalloids while albumin runs.

At what albumin level should a dog or cat be treated?

Oedema and effusions become likely as albumin falls below about 2.0 g/dL (20 g/L), and below 1.5 g/dL (15 g/L) colloid osmotic pressure is critically low. Treatment decisions rest on the patient rather than the number: hypotension, oedema, effusion, poor wound healing or gut dysfunction attributable to low COP, together with treatment of the underlying cause. The usual target is 2.0 to 2.5 g/dL, not a normal value.

What is a normal albumin level in dogs and cats?

Most laboratories quote roughly 2.5 to 4.0 g/dL (25 to 40 g/L) for dogs and 2.4 to 4.0 g/dL (24 to 40 g/L) for cats, with some variation between analysers and age groups, so use your own laboratory's interval. Values below 2.0 g/dL are where oncotic problems start, and values below 1.5 g/dL are severe.

How do you convert albumin from g/dL to g/L?

Multiply by 10: 1.5 g/dL is 15 g/L, and 2.5 g/dL is 25 g/L. Divide by 10 to go the other way. The calculator accepts either unit and shows both in the interpretation panel.

How much plasma does it take to raise albumin?

Roughly 22 mL/kg of plasma per 0.5 g/dL rise, or 45 mL/kg per 1 g/dL, which is why plasma is a poor albumin source compared with concentrated albumin. Fresh frozen plasma still has a place for coagulopathy, and the calculator shows the plasma volume that would carry the same grams of albumin for comparison.

What are the side effects of human albumin in dogs?

Acute type I reactions (facial swelling, urticaria, vomiting, hypotension, collapse) and delayed type III reactions 5 to 14 days later (vasculitis, polyarthritis, oedema, lameness, kidney injury) are both described, and healthy dogs appear more susceptible than critically ill ones. Volume overload is the other major risk with hyperoncotic solutions. Canine-specific albumin avoids the foreign-protein problem, with vomiting, urticaria and fever the main reactions reported.

Can albumin be repeated?

Canine albumin can be repeated as albumin and COP dictate, within about 2 g/kg per day. Human albumin should be given as one course completed within roughly 3 to 5 days, before an antibody response develops, and a dog that has received human albumin before should not be given it again.

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References

Mazzaferro EM, Edwards T. Update on albumin therapy in critical illness. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2020.
Craft EM, Powell LL. The use of canine-specific albumin in dogs with septic peritonitis. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2012. doi:10.1111/j.1476-4431.2012.00819.x
Enders BD, et al. Evaluation of the safety and effect of lyophilized canine-specific albumin to increase serum albumin concentration and colloid osmotic pressure in healthy dogs. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2024. doi:10.1111/vec.13432
Sahagian et al. Retrospective analysis of the use of canine-specific albumin in 125 critically ill dogs. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2023. doi:10.1111/vec.13286
Terradas Crespo et al. Retrospective evaluation of indications, transfusion protocols, and acute transfusion reactions associated with the administration of lyophilized canine albumin: 53 cases (2009 to 2020). J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2023. doi:10.1111/vec.13316
Trow AV, Rozanski EA, deLaforcade AM, Chan DL. Evaluation of use of human albumin in critically ill dogs: 73 cases (2003 to 2006). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2008;233(4):607-612.
Mathews KA, Barry M. The use of 25% human serum albumin: outcome and efficacy in raising serum albumin and systemic blood pressure in critically ill dogs and cats. J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2005;15(2):110-118.
Loyd KA, et al. Retrospective evaluation of the administration of 25% human albumin to dogs with protein-losing enteropathy: 21 cases (2003 to 2013). J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2016. doi:10.1111/vec.12484
Francis AH, et al. Adverse reactions suggestive of type III hypersensitivity in six healthy dogs given human albumin. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2007.
Cohn LA, et al. Response of healthy dogs to infusions of human serum albumin. Am J Vet Res. 2007.
Martin LG, et al. Serum antibodies against human albumin in critically ill and healthy dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2008.
Viganó F, et al. Administration of 5% human serum albumin in critically ill small animal patients with hypoalbuminemia: 418 dogs and 170 cats (1994 to 2008). J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2010.
Canine serum albumin xenotransfusion in critically ill cats: retrospective case series. Front Vet Sci. 2025. doi:10.3389/fvets.2025.1585988
Savigny MR. Human albumin therapy in hypoalbuminemic dogs. Standards of Care: Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. 2006.
Animal Blood Resources International. Canine Albumin (lyophilized) product information; Hemo Solutions canine albumin package insert.
Silverstein DC, Hopper K (eds). Small Animal Critical Care Medicine, 3rd ed. Elsevier; 2023 (albumin and colloid chapters).

Written and reviewed by Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc (University of Sydney), emergency and general practice veterinarian. Last reviewed August 2026. Decision-support for veterinary professionals; see the disclaimer below.

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