Decoquinate: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Antiparasitic

Also known as

Deccox, Decco

Species with doses

Dogs, Cattle, Goats, Sheep and Camelids

General dose range

0.5–1 mg/kg PO daily (in feed) — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

PO

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Prevention of coccidiosis (Eimeria) in calves, lambs and kids during the risk period
• Coccidiosis control in groups of young ruminants at predictable risk (in-feed)

Decoquinate dose by species

Doses are per administration unless stated. mg/kg doses scale with body weight; per-animal, per-quarter and infusion-rate doses are shown as the reference writes them.

Dogs

• Hepatozoon americanum (relapse prevention): Plumb’s p.353: after 14 days of TMP-sulfa + clindamycin + pyrimethamine, decoquinate 10–20 mg/kg PO q12h long-term (Blagburn; Macintire 2006) — about 1 teaspoon of the 6% powder per 10 kg twice daily with food; muscle biopsy after 2 years before stopping.
• Coccidiosis prophylaxis: Plumb’s p.353 (Matz 1995): 50 mg/kg PO once daily.

Cattle

• Coccidiosis prevention (calves, in feed): Plumb’s p.353: 0.5 mg/kg per day in feed (6% premix) for at least 28 days (Penzhorn & Swan; McDougald & Roberson). Preventive only. Label: not for animals producing milk for food.

Goats

• Coccidiosis prevention (kids): Plumb’s p.353: 0.5 mg/kg per day in feed during exposure (Bretzlaff 1993); 0.5–1 mg/kg PO (de la Concha 2002). Preventive only.

Sheep

• Coccidiosis prevention (young sheep): Plumb’s 10e p.345 (label dosage; FDA-approved): prevention of coccidiosis in young sheep (Eimeria ovinoidalis, E. crandallis, E. parva, E. bakuensis) — 0.5 mg/kg PO per day mixed in feed for at least 28 days during exposure. Follow the local label.
• Coccidiosis treatment (lambs): Plumb’s 10e p.345 (extra-label): treatment of coccidiosis in lambs — 1 mg/kg in feed PO daily for at least 28 days. Extra-label — obtain a FARAD withdrawal.
• Toxoplasma abortion / perinatal loss prevention (ewes): Plumb’s 10e p.345 (extra-label): aid in prevention of abortion and perinatal loss from toxoplasmosis — 2 mg/kg daily in feed continuously for the 14 weeks before lambing. Extra-label — obtain a FARAD withdrawal.

Buffalo

No buffalo-specific doses are on file, so buffalo are dosed as cattle.

• Coccidiosis prevention (calves, in feed): Plumb’s p.353: 0.5 mg/kg per day in feed (6% premix) for at least 28 days (Penzhorn & Swan; McDougald & Roberson). Preventive only. Label: not for animals producing milk for food.

Camelids

• Coccidiosis prevention: Plumb’s p.353 (Johnson 1993): llamas 0.5 mg/kg per day in feed (6% premix) for at least 28 days.

Contraindications

Reliance on it to TREAT clinical coccidiosis (it is preventive — use a coccidiocide like toltrazuril/diclazuril/sulfonamide for active disease). Known hypersensitivity. Verify it is fed continuously (intermittent intake reduces efficacy). Egg-laying poultry considerations (species-specific labels).

Adverse effects

• Very well tolerated — wide safety margin
• Reduced efficacy if feed intake is inconsistent
• Not effective against established clinical coccidiosis

Drug interactions

• No major host drug interactions
• Part of a control programme with hygiene/management (not a standalone)

Pregnancy and lactation

Fed to young growing stock; considered safe at label inclusion.

Monitoring

• Faecal oocyst counts / clinical coccidiosis incidence in the group
• Consistent feed intake (continuous dosing is required)
• Overall coccidiosis-control programme (hygiene, stocking, colostrum)

Toxicity and overdose

Very wide safety margin — no significant toxicity at therapeutic or modestly higher feed inclusion. The practical "failure" is using it to treat established disease (it can't) or inconsistent feed intake reducing protection.

Management: Supportive only; no specific antidote needed (wide margin).

Clinical pearls

• A PREVENTIVE in-feed coccidiostat — it must be in the gut before/at infection; it will NOT treat a calf/lamb already scouring with coccidiosis (use toltrazuril/diclazuril/sulfonamide for that)
• Feed continuously through the risk period for protection; inconsistent intake undermines it
• Wide safety margin and short/zero withdrawal make it convenient for group prevention
• Use within a broader control programme (hygiene, stocking density, colostrum)

Mechanism of action

A 4-hydroxyquinolone coccidiostat that blocks mitochondrial electron transport (at the cytochrome b/coenzyme-Q region) in the early sporozoite/first-generation stages of Eimeria, halting their development before they damage the gut. Because it targets early stages and is coccidiostatic, it prevents the parasite establishing but does not clear an existing clinical infection — hence continuous in-feed use during the risk window.

Formulations and products

• Feed premix / pellets (Deccox)
• Deccox (Zoetis) — Decoquinate premix / pellets, Feed premix / pellets

Storage

Premix/pellets: 15–30 °C, dry, protect from light/moisture; mix uniformly into feed.

Before you use this dose

Reference doses for veterinary professionals. Confirm the dose against the product label, the patient’s condition, current guidance and local regulations before use; the attending veterinarian remains responsible for every clinical decision.

Other antiparasitics

• Buparvaquone
• Clorsulon
• Closantel
• Cypermethrin
• Deltamethrin
• Dichlorvos (DDVP)
• Diclazuril
• Diethylcarbamazine (DEC)

Frequently asked questions