Pyrantel pamoate: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Antiparasitic

Also known as

Pyrantel, Strongid, Nemex, Banminth

Species with doses

Dogs, Cats, Cattle, Horses, Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Birds and Camelids

General dose range

5–22 mg/kg PO single dose, repeat in 2–3 weeks — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

PO

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Ascarids (Toxocara, Toxascaris, Parascaris) — puppies, kittens, foals
• Hookworms (Ancylostoma, Uncinaria)
• Equine large / small strongyles and ascarids
• Porcine ascarids and nodular worms

Pyrantel pamoate 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

• Ascarids / hookworms: Papich 5e: 5 mg/kg once PO, repeat in 7–10 days. Plumb’s p.1025 (label): dogs under 5 lb 10 mg/kg, over 5 lb 5 mg/kg (as base); treat puppies at 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks and the bitch 2–3 weeks after whelping; puppies 5–10 mg/kg every 2–3 weeks to 12 weeks of age (Hoskins 2005).

Cats

• Ascarids / hookworms: Papich 5e: 20 mg/kg once PO, may be mixed with food. Plumb’s p.1025: 20 mg/kg PO (Blagburn 2005); lower regimens 5 mg/kg repeated in 2 weeks (Dimski) or 10 mg/kg repeated in 3 weeks (Kirk); kittens 5–10 mg/kg every 2–3 weeks from 2–3 weeks of age.

Cattle

• GI roundworms: Plumb's p.1026 (Roberson 1988): pyrantel tartrate 25 mg/kg PO.

Horses

• Strongyles / ascarids: Papich 5e and Plumb’s p.1025: nematodes 6.6 mg/kg PO (as base); foals every 6–8 weeks for ascarid control (Taylor 2010). Medicated feed: 12.5 mg/kg once or 2.6 mg/kg/day for prevention (Papich).
• Tapeworms (cestodes): Papich 5e and Plumb’s p.1025 (Taylor 2010): double the nematode dose — 13.2 mg/kg PO (as base) once or twice yearly.

Goats

• GI roundworms: Plumb’s p.1025 (Roberson 1988): cattle, sheep and goats — pyrantel tartrate 25 mg/kg PO. Extra-label in goats — obtain a withdrawal from FARAD.

Sheep

• GI roundworms: Plumb's p.1026 (Roberson 1988): 25 mg/kg PO.

Pigs

• Ascarids / Oesophagostomum: Plumb's p.1026: pyrantel tartrate 22 mg/kg PO (or 800 g/ton in feed); potbellied pigs 6.6 mg/kg PO.

Buffalo

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

• GI roundworms: Plumb's p.1026 (Roberson 1988): pyrantel tartrate 25 mg/kg PO.

Birds

• Ascarids (psittacines/passerines): Plumb's p.1026: psittacines 25 mg/kg PO every 2 weeks (Lightfoot 2008); or 100 mg/kg PO single dose in psittacines & passerines (Marshall 1993).

Camelids

• GI roundworms: Plumb's p.1026 (Fowler 1989): 18 mg/kg PO for one day.

Contraindications

Severe debilitation / gut stasis. Do not combine with other depolarising agents (levamisole, organophosphates) — additive neuromuscular effects.

Adverse effects

• Occasional vomiting (usually transient)
• Very wide safety margin even in neonates

Drug interactions

• Levamisole: SAME mechanism of action and toxicity — do NOT use concurrently with pyrantel
• Morantel: same mechanism of action and toxicity — do NOT use concurrently
• Piperazine: ANTAGONISTIC mechanisms (piperazine hyperpolarises, pyrantel depolarises) — do not use together, they cancel out
• Organophosphates: increased risk of adverse effects (additive cholinesterase inhibition)
• Diethylcarbamazine: increased risk of adverse effects

Toxicity and overdose

Plumb's p.1026: pyrantel has a MODERATE margin of safety. Doses up to approximately 7x the recommended dose generally produce no toxic reaction, and horses tolerated 20x without adverse effects. Because it is a cholinergic agent, signs of genuine overdose are cholinergic — salivation, GI upset, tremor and, at extremes, respiratory compromise; the manufacturers advise against use in severely debilitated animals. Do not stack it with levamisole, morantel or organophosphates, which share the mechanism and make an overdose out of two normal doses.

Clinical pearls

• Never stack with levamisole or morantel — same mechanism, so two "normal" doses become one overdose
• Never combine with piperazine — the two are pharmacologically antagonistic and you lose efficacy
• Safe enough for 2-week-old puppies and pregnant bitches — a go-to neonatal dewormer
• A double dose (13.2 mg/kg) in horses adds tapeworm (Anoplocephala) efficacy
• No whipworm activity — pair with another anthelmintic where Trichuris is a concern

Mechanism of action

Plumb's p.1026: acts as a DEPOLARISING NEUROMUSCULAR-BLOCKING agent in susceptible parasites, paralysing the worm so it is expelled by normal peristalsis. It has nicotine-like properties and acts similarly to acetylcholine, and it also inhibits cholinesterase. Pharmacokinetics explain the safety margin: pyrantel PAMOATE is poorly absorbed from the GI tract, which is precisely what lets it reach the lower GI tract in dogs, cats and horses while keeping systemic exposure low. Pyrantel TARTRATE is absorbed more readily; pigs and dogs absorb the tartrate more than ruminants do, with peak plasma levels at 2–3 hours (highly variable in ruminants). Absorbed drug is rapidly metabolised and excreted in urine and faeces.

Formulations and products

• Pyrantel pamoate suspension 50 mg/mL
• Pyrantel pamoate paste 180 mg/mL (equine)
• Pyrantel embonate 22.7 mg/mL suspension

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

• Permethrin
• Piperazine
• Ponazuril
• Praziquantel
• Pyrimethamine
• Rafoxanide
• Ronidazole
• Sarolaner

Frequently asked questions