A 20 lb. animal receives 5 mL of medication. How much would a 25 lb. animal receive?

To determine the appropriate dosage for a 25 lb. animal based on the medication given to a 20 lb. animal, one must consider the relationship between the weight of the animal and the medication dosage.

The initial dosage is 5 mL for a 20 lb. animal. First, calculate the amount of medication per pound of body weight. This can be done by dividing the dosage by the weight of the first animal:

5 mL / 20 lb = 0.25 mL per lb.

Now, to find out how much medication a 25 lb. animal would receive, multiply the per-pound dosage by the weight of the second animal:

0.25 mL per lb × 25 lb = 6.25 mL.

Thus, a 25 lb. animal should receive 6.25 mL of medication to maintain the same dosage per pound as the 20 lb. animal. This dosage calculation is crucial in veterinary medicine to ensure that animals receive the correct amount of medication based on their weight, which helps to achieve the desired therapeutic effect while minimizing the risk of underdosing or overdosing.