Minocycline: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Antibiotic

Also known as

Minoz, Cynomycin, Minocin

Species with doses

Dogs, Cats and Horses

General dose range

5–12.5 mg/kg PO q12h — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

PO

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Tick-borne disease — ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, RMSF (doxycycline alternative)
• Resistant staphylococcal pyoderma (MRSP) where susceptible
• Susceptible respiratory / soft-tissue infections
• Some atypical/intracellular infections

Minocycline 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

• Tick-borne disease / susceptible infection: Papich 5e: 5 mg/kg q12h PO is sufficient in most dogs; 10 mg/kg twice daily for higher MICs (more vomiting); halve for IV. Plumb’s p.846: soft tissue/UTI 5–12 mg/kg PO or IV q12h (Greene); ehrlichiosis 10 mg/kg q12h for 28 days (Ford 2009); brucellosis 25 mg/kg once daily for 4 weeks with gentamicin. Give with food and water. Atypical mycobacterial, L-form or mycoplasma infections 5–12.5 mg/kg PO q12h (Hnilica 2003; Bonenberger 2009).

Cats

• Susceptible infection: Papich 5e: 8.8 mg/kg (or 50 mg per cat) PO once daily. Plumb’s p.846: haemotropic mycoplasmosis 6–11 mg/kg q12h for 21 days; mycobacterial/L-form/mycoplasma 5–12.5 mg/kg q12h. Follow each dose with water or food (oesophageal stricture).

Horses

• Susceptible infection: Papich 5e: 4–5 mg/kg q12h PO, or 2.2 mg/kg q12h IV.

Contraindications

Pregnancy and young growing animals (tetracycline class — tooth discolouration, bone/enamel effects). Significant hepatic impairment. Known tetracycline hypersensitivity. Give carefully to cats (oesophageal stricture risk — follow with water/food, as with doxycycline).

Species-specific warnings

Cats: High oesophageal-stricture risk if a dry capsule lodges — always follow with water/a small meal. Avoid in pregnant queens/kittens (tooth discolouration).

Adverse effects

• GI upset (vomiting, anorexia) — give with food/water
• Oesophageal stricture if a dry tablet/capsule lodges (especially cats) — chase with water/food
• Vestibular signs (ataxia, nausea) more than other tetracyclines
• Hepatotoxicity, tooth discolouration in young animals

Drug interactions

• Di-/tri-valent cations (calcium, iron, magnesium, antacids, dairy): chelation reduces absorption — separate dosing
• Bactericidal cell-wall agents: theoretical antagonism
• Warfarin: potentiated anticoagulation
• Hepatic enzyme inducers: lower levels

Pregnancy and lactation

Avoid in pregnancy (tetracycline fetal tooth/bone effects, maternal hepatotoxicity risk).

Monitoring

• Clinical response (e.g. tick-borne disease — rapid improvement expected)
• GI tolerance and vestibular signs
• Liver values on prolonged therapy
• In cats, confirm the pill is swallowed (water/food chaser) — stricture prevention

Toxicity and overdose

Generally well tolerated; tetracycline-class effects include GI upset, hepatotoxicity, and tooth/bone effects in the young. Minocycline causes more dose-related vestibular signs (ataxia, nausea) than other tetracyclines. Oesophageal stricture from a lodged tablet is a real risk in cats.

Management: No specific antidote. Supportive — fluids, anti-emetic; manage vestibular signs (usually resolve on discontinuation). Monitor liver values. Decontaminate large recent ingestions.

Clinical pearls

• An excellent, often cheaper stand-in for doxycycline in tick-borne disease — same tetracycline mechanism with high lipophilicity
• Separate from calcium/iron/dairy/antacids by ≥2 h (chelation kills absorption)
• In cats, always chase the dose with water or food to avoid oesophageal stricture (a classic tetracycline pitfall)
• A susceptibility-guided option for resistant staphylococcal (MRSP) pyoderma
• More vestibular side effects than doxycycline — warn owners about transient wobbliness/nausea

Mechanism of action

Binds the 30S bacterial ribosomal subunit, blocking attachment of aminoacyl-tRNA to the mRNA-ribosome complex and inhibiting protein synthesis — bacteriostatic, broad spectrum. Its high lipophilicity (greater than doxycycline) enhances penetration into tissues and intracellular pathogens (Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Rickettsia), and contributes to its CNS-related (vestibular) side effects.

Formulations and products

• 50 mg capsule/tablet
• 100 mg capsule/tablet
• Minoz — 50 / 100 mg capsule (OD/regular), Capsule (human-label)
• Cynomycin — 50 / 100 mg capsule, Capsule (human-label)

Storage

Capsules/tablets: 15–30 °C, dry, protect from light. Avoid degraded (expired) tetracyclines (can cause renal tubular toxicity).

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 antibiotics

• Lincomycin
• Linezolid
• Marbofloxacin
• Meropenem
• Mupirocin
• Neomycin
• Nitrofurantoin
• Norfloxacin

Frequently asked questions