Levamisole: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Antiparasitic

Also known as

Levamisole HCl, Levamisole phosphate

Species with doses

Dogs, Cats, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Poultry, Birds, Rabbits, Reptiles and Camelids

General dose range

7.5–8 mg/kg PO single dose — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

PO, SC

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• GI nematodes and lungworms (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, camelids, poultry)
• Lungworms and some nematodes (dogs, cats)
• Immunomodulation (chronic pyoderma adjunct — weak evidence)

Levamisole 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

• Endoparasites / hookworms: Papich 5e: 5–8 mg/kg once PO (up to 10 mg/kg for 2 days); hookworms 10 mg/kg/day for 2 days. Safer modern anthelmintics are usually preferred.
• Lungworms (Capillaria, Crenosoma, Oslerus, Angiostrongylus): Plumb’s p.720: Crenosoma 8 mg/kg once; Capillaria 7–12 mg/kg daily for 3–7 days (Roudebush) or 10 mg/kg daily for 5 days repeated in 9 days (Reinemeyer); Oslerus 7–12 mg/kg daily for 20–45 days; Angiostrongylus 7.5 mg/kg for 2 days then 10 mg/kg for 2 days (Bowman).
• Immunomodulation (adjunct): Papich 5e: 0.5–2 mg/kg three times weekly. Plumb’s p.720: recurrent cutaneous infections 2.2 mg/kg every other day (efficacy doubtful — perhaps 10% of cases); SLE 3–7 mg/kg every other day for 4 months. Monitor CBC (agranulocytosis).

Cats

• Endoparasites: Papich 5e: 4.4 mg/kg once PO.
• Lungworms (Aelurostrongylus, Capillaria): Papich 5e and Plumb’s p.720 (Kirk): 20–40 mg/kg every other day for five treatments; 25 mg/kg every other day for 10–14 days (Roudebush); Capillaria 10 mg/kg daily for 5 days, repeat in 9 days. Cats may salivate — atropine pre-treatment has been used.

Cattle

• GI nematodes / lungworm (oral): Papich 5e: 8 mg/kg once PO (about one 2.19 g bolus per 200–340 kg). Plumb’s p.720: 5.5–11 mg/kg PO in feed, drench or bolus for Dictyocaulus (Bennett); 7.5 mg/kg PO (Brander). Withdrawal depends on the product — follow the label.
• GI nematodes / lungworm (injectable): Papich 5e: 8 mg/kg SC in the mid-neck once (about 2 mL per 45 kg). Plumb’s p.720 (Bennett 1986): 3.3–8 mg/kg SC. Follow the label withdrawal.

Goats

• GI nematodes: Plumb’s 10e p.745 (extra-label): goats — use 1.5 times the sheep dosage, i.e. 12 mg/kg PO once. (The older Plumb’s 7th ed grouped goats with sheep at 7.5–8 mg/kg; the 10th edition gives goats their own, higher dose.) Plumb’s 10e p.744: oral routes preferred, IM CONTRAINDICATED; use is controversial in fibre-producing goats (toxicity); may cause depression, hyperaesthesia and salivation, and has been implicated in abortion. Extra-label — obtain a withdrawal.

Sheep

• GI nematodes / lungworm: Papich 5e: 8 mg/kg once PO. Plumb’s p.720: 8 mg/kg PO (Bennett); 7.5 mg/kg (Brander). Sheep are relatively sensitive to toxicity — dose accurately by weight.

Pigs

• GI nematodes / lungworm (Metastrongylus): Papich 5e and Plumb’s p.720 (Bennett): 8 mg/kg in feed or drinking water. Follow the label withdrawal.

Poultry

• GI nematodes: Plumb’s p.720 (Brander 1982): poultry 18–36 mg/kg PO. Follow the label for meat and egg withdrawal.

Buffalo

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

• GI nematodes / lungworm (oral): Papich 5e: 8 mg/kg once PO (about one 2.19 g bolus per 200–340 kg). Plumb’s p.720: 5.5–11 mg/kg PO in feed, drench or bolus for Dictyocaulus (Bennett); 7.5 mg/kg PO (Brander). Withdrawal depends on the product — follow the label.
• GI nematodes / lungworm (injectable): Papich 5e: 8 mg/kg SC in the mid-neck once (about 2 mL per 45 kg). Plumb’s p.720 (Bennett 1986): 3.3–8 mg/kg SC. Follow the label withdrawal.

Birds

• Intestinal nematodes / Capillaria: Plumb’s p.720: Capillaria 15–30 mg/kg once by crop tube (Flammer); parakeets 15 mg/kg by gavage, repeat in 10 days; parenteral 4–8 mg/kg IM/SC may cause vomiting, ataxia or death — avoid in debilitated birds (Clubb).

Rabbits

• Nematodes: Plumb’s p.720 (Ivey & Morrisey 2000): 12.5–20 mg/kg PO (gastric nematodes) or SC (extragastric).

Reptiles

• Nematodes / acanthocephalans / pentastomes: Plumb’s p.720 (de la Navarre 2003): 5–10 mg/kg PO (or SC/ICe for acanthocephalans and pentastomes), repeated in 2 weeks with a faecal check 14 days later.

Camelids

• GI nematodes: Plumb’s p.720 (llamas): 5–8 mg/kg IM or PO (Fowler); 5–8 mg/kg PO or SC (Cheney & Allen).

Contraindications

Debilitated animals or those with hepatic/renal disease; do not combine with other nicotinic agonists (pyrantel, morantel) or organophosphates/cholinesterase inhibitors. Toxicity (salivation, tremors, collapse) is treated with atropine.

Adverse effects

• Salivation, muzzle foaming, head shaking, tremors (cholinergic)
• Vomiting (dogs)
• Injection-site swelling
• Agranulocytosis and immune-mediated reactions with prolonged use (dogs)

Toxicity and overdose

Management: Cholinergic (nicotinic/muscarinic) toxicity: atropine for muscarinic signs, supportive care and ventilation for respiratory paralysis.

Formulations and products

• Oral drench / bolus (levamisole HCl)
• Injection (levamisole HCl or phosphate)

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

• Halofuginone
• Imidacloprid
• Imidocarb Dipropionate
• Ivermectin
• Levamisole + Oxyclozanide
• Lotilaner
• Lufenuron
• Mebendazole

Frequently asked questions