Streptomycin (Dihydrostreptomycin): veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Antibiotic

Also known as

Dihydrostreptomycin, Dicrysticin-S, Streptopenicillin

Species with doses

Dogs, Cattle, Horses, Goats, Sheep and Pigs

General dose range

10–22 mg/kg IM q12–24h — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

IM

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Leptospirosis (clears renal carrier state in cattle/dogs)
• Susceptible Gram-negative systemic infection (with penicillin)
• Bovine respiratory disease (combination therapy)
• Brucellosis (adjunct, with doxycycline)
• Mastitis (combination products)

Streptomycin (Dihydrostreptomycin) 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

• Leptospirosis carrier clearance: Historically follows penicillin for the bacteraemic phase. Not in Papich 5e or Plumb’s (no monograph); doxycycline is the usual carrier-clearance drug. Nephro- and ototoxic.

Cattle

• Susceptible infection / leptospirosis: Often dosed as the combined Pen-Strepto product per label. Neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s has a streptomycin/dihydrostreptomycin monograph — this dose comes from product labelling; follow the label of the product used (usually a penicillin–streptomycin combination) and its withdrawal.

Horses

• Susceptible infection (with penicillin): Neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s has a streptomycin monograph — label/older-text dose; follow the product label. Nephro- and ototoxic.

Goats

• Susceptible infection: Neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s has a streptomycin monograph — follow the product label and its withdrawal; extra-label use needs a FARAD withdrawal.

Sheep

• Susceptible infection (with penicillin): Label-sourced — neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s has a streptomycin/dihydrostreptomycin monograph. Usually combined with procaine penicillin (pen-strep) for foot rot and leptospirosis. Nephro- and ototoxic. Follow the product label withdrawal; extra-label use needs a FARAD withdrawal.

Pigs

• Susceptible infection: Neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s has a streptomycin monograph — follow the product label and its withdrawal.

Buffalo

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

• Susceptible infection / leptospirosis: Often dosed as the combined Pen-Strepto product per label. Neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s has a streptomycin/dihydrostreptomycin monograph — this dose comes from product labelling; follow the label of the product used (usually a penicillin–streptomycin combination) and its withdrawal.

Contraindications

Pre-existing renal impairment, dehydration, or vestibular/auditory disease. Avoid with other nephrotoxic or ototoxic drugs and with neuromuscular blockers. Myasthenia gravis. Do not give IV rapidly (neuromuscular blockade). Severe withdrawal-period implications in food animals.

Species-specific warnings

Cats: Cats are sensitive to aminoglycoside vestibulotoxicity — use cautiously and avoid prolonged courses.

Cattle: Long tissue residues — strict 30-day meat and 72-h milk withdrawal (verify nationally). Banned/limited for some food-animal uses in several countries.

Adverse effects

• Nephrotoxicity (proximal tubular damage) — cumulative, dose-related
• Ototoxicity — vestibular and cochlear (often irreversible)
• Neuromuscular blockade (especially with anaesthetics / rapid IV)
• Injection-site pain and swelling
• Hypersensitivity reactions

Drug interactions

• Loop diuretics (furosemide): additive ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity
• Other nephrotoxins (NSAIDs, amphotericin B, cisplatin): cumulative renal injury
• Neuromuscular blockers / general anaesthetics: potentiated, prolonged paralysis
• Penicillins: synergistic (but inactivate each other if mixed in one syringe — give separately)
• Cephalosporins: increased nephrotoxic potential

Pregnancy and lactation

Aminoglycosides cross the placenta and can cause fetal ototoxicity/nephrotoxicity — avoid in pregnancy unless life-threatening infection with no alternative.

Monitoring

• Renal function (creatinine, urine sediment for casts) before and during therapy
• Hydration status — never dose a dehydrated animal
• Vestibular/auditory signs (head tilt, nystagmus, deafness)
• Therapeutic duration — limit to the shortest effective course
• Strict adherence to food-animal withdrawal periods

Toxicity and overdose

Cumulative nephrotoxicity (tubular necrosis — rising creatinine, casts, isosthenuria) and irreversible ototoxicity (head tilt, ataxia, deafness). Risk rises with duration >7–10 days, dehydration, concurrent nephrotoxins and trough accumulation. Acute neuromuscular blockade can cause respiratory paralysis.

Management: No true antidote. Stop the drug; aggressive IV fluid diuresis to support renal clearance. For neuromuscular blockade: IV calcium gluconate and neostigmine may partially reverse; provide ventilatory support. Haemodialysis can remove the drug in severe renal failure. Monitor renal values and hearing/vestibular signs.

Clinical pearls

• In India the practical product is the penicillin-streptomycin combination (Dicrysticin-S) — dose by the combined label, not pure streptomycin
• Still a first-choice agent to clear the leptospiral renal carrier state
• Ensure full hydration and avoid concurrent furosemide / NSAIDs to protect the kidneys
• Once-daily dosing exploits concentration-dependent killing and lowers nephrotoxicity vs divided dosing
• Do NOT mix penicillin and streptomycin in the same syringe long-term — beta-lactam inactivates the aminoglycoside

Mechanism of action

Binds irreversibly to the 30S bacterial ribosomal subunit, causing misreading of mRNA and inhibition of protein synthesis — concentration-dependent bactericidal action. Uptake into the bacterium is oxygen-dependent, so activity is poor against anaerobes and in abscesses/acidic environments.

Formulations and products

• Dicrysticin-S vial — Procaine Pen 5 lakh IU + Strepto 2.5 g
• Streptomycin sulphate 1 g vial (reconstitute)
• Strepto-Penicillin vet powder vial
• Dicrysticin-S (Zydus / Sarabhai (India)) — Procaine Penicillin 5 lakh IU + Dihydrostreptomycin 2.5 g per vial, Combination injection (reconstitute)
• Streptopenicillin (Various (India)) — Crystalline Pen + Streptomycin, Combination IM injection
• Strepto-Penicillin 2.5 g (Assure Biotech, Jagadhri (HR)) — Streptomycin base 2.5 g + Procaine penicillin G 1.5 MIU + Penicillin G sodium 0.5 MIU, Dry powder vial for suspension
• Strepto-Penicillin 5 g (Assure Biotech, Jagadhri (HR)) — Streptomycin base 5 g + Procaine penicillin G 3 MIU + Penicillin G sodium 3 MIU, Dry powder vial for suspension
• Streptomycin Sulphate — 0.75 g / 1 g vial, Injection (reconstitute) (human-label)

Storage

Dry powder vials: 15–30 °C. Reconstituted solution: refrigerate (2–8 °C) and use within 48 h (combination Pen-Strepto products — use within 24 h). Protect from light.

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

• Rifampin
• Rifaximin
• Silver Sulfadiazine
• Spectinomycin
• Sulfadiazine
• Sulfadimethoxine
• Sulphadimidine (Sulfamethazine)
• Tiamulin

Frequently asked questions