# Tulathromycin: veterinary dose and monograph

> Tulathromycin is a veterinary antibiotic. Triamilide-class semi-synthetic macrolide — single-shot BRD treatment in cattle (SC) and swine (IM). Indications include bovine respiratory disease (Mannheimia, Pasteurella, Histophilus, Mycoplasma bovis); bovine foot rot (Fusobacterium necrophorum); bovine pinkeye (Moraxella bovis). This monograph lists 4 reference doses for cattle, horses, goats and pigs, each with route, frequency and source, plus meat and milk withdrawal periods for food animals.

Source: https://vetmasterji.com/drugs/tulathromycin · Last reviewed: 2026-10-01

## At a glance

- **Drug class:** Antibiotic
- **Also known as:** Draxxin
- **Species with doses:** Cattle, Horses, Goats and Pigs
- **General dose range:** 2.5 mg/kg SC single dose — check the species tables for the indication
- **Routes:** SC, IM
- **Last reviewed:** 1 October 2026

## Indications

- Bovine respiratory disease (Mannheimia, Pasteurella, Histophilus, Mycoplasma bovis)
- Bovine foot rot (Fusobacterium necrophorum)
- Bovine pinkeye (Moraxella bovis)
- Swine respiratory disease (App, Pasteurella, BPB)
- Caprine / ovine respiratory disease (extra-label)

## Tulathromycin 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.

### Cattle

*Tulathromycin doses for cattle*

| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Withdrawal |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRD / foot rot / pinkeye — single shot SC | 2.5 mg/kg | SC | single | — | 18d slaughter |

- BRD / foot rot / pinkeye — single shot SC: Plumb’s p.1152 and Papich 5e (Draxxin label): 2.5 mg/kg SC once in the neck (1.1 mL/100 lb of 100 mg/mL); no more than 10 mL per site. US label slaughter withdrawal 18 days; not for female dairy cattle 20 months or older.

### Horses

*Tulathromycin doses for horses*

| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Foals — Rhodococcus equi (mild cases) | 2.5 mg/kg | IM | once weekly (q5–7 days) | — |

- Foals — Rhodococcus equi (mild cases): Papich 5e: foals 2.5 mg/kg IM once per week. Plumb’s p.1152 (Divers 2009): anecdotally 2.5 mg/kg IM every 5–7 days in milder clinical cases.

### Goats

*Tulathromycin doses for goats*

| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Withdrawal |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pneumonia (M. haemolytica, P. multocida, Mycoplasma) | 2.5 mg/kg | SC | once; repeat in 7 days if necessary | — | 34d slaughter / 45d milk |

- Pneumonia (M. haemolytica, P. multocida, Mycoplasma): Plumb’s 10e p.1284 (extra-label): 2.5 mg/kg SC; repeat in 7 days if necessary. Based on pharmacokinetic studies in meat and dairy goats. After a single dose a 34-day meat withdrawal and a 45-day (1080 h) milk withdrawal are recommended. Papich 5e gives no goat dose.

### Sheep

*Tulathromycin doses for sheep*

| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Withdrawal |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No reference dose for this species | Not established in Papich 5e or Plumb’s 10e — do not extrapolate from another species | — | — | — | — |

- No reference dose for this species: Neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s 10e (pp.1282–1284 dose cattle, swine, goats and deer only) gives a tulathromycin dose for sheep; the previous row copied the cattle dose. Where a sheep product label exists locally, follow that label and its withdrawal.

### Pigs

*Tulathromycin doses for pigs*

| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Withdrawal |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Swine respiratory disease — single shot IM | 2.5 mg/kg | IM | single | — | 5d slaughter |

- Swine respiratory disease — single shot IM: Plumb’s p.1152 and Papich 5e (Draxxin label): 2.5 mg/kg IM once in the neck (0.25 mL/22 lb); no more than 2.5 mL per site. US label slaughter withdrawal 5 days.

### Buffalo

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

*Tulathromycin doses for buffalo*

| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Withdrawal |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BRD / foot rot / pinkeye — single shot SC | 2.5 mg/kg | SC | single | — | 18d slaughter |

- BRD / foot rot / pinkeye — single shot SC: Plumb’s p.1152 and Papich 5e (Draxxin label): 2.5 mg/kg SC once in the neck (1.1 mL/100 lb of 100 mg/mL); no more than 10 mL per site. US label slaughter withdrawal 18 days; not for female dairy cattle 20 months or older.

## Contraindications

Lactating dairy cattle (USA). Veal calves. Female dairy cattle ≥20 mo. Hypersensitivity to macrolides. Use in horses is CONTRAINDICATED — fatal colitis. Withdrawal must be respected.

## Species-specific warnings

> **Caution:** Cattle: Single-shot — 2.5 mg/kg SC neck. 18 d slaughter. NOT for lactating dairy.

> **Caution:** Pigs: Single-shot 2.5 mg/kg IM neck. 5 d slaughter withdrawal. Max 2.5 mL / site.

> **Caution:** Horses: CONTRAINDICATED — fatal colitis like erythromycin. Never use.

## Adverse effects

- Transient injection-site pain / swelling (esp. neck-SC route)
- Hyper-salivation, head-pressing (rare, transient)
- Hypersensitivity (rare)

## Drug interactions

- Other macrolides: similar binding site — antagonism possible
- Drugs interacting with CYP3A: tulathromycin minimal CYP interaction unlike erythromycin
- Lincosamides (lincomycin, clindamycin): similar mechanism — additive without benefit

## Pregnancy and lactation

Safe at recommended dose in cattle, sheep, goats. Strictly NOT for lactating dairy.

## Monitoring

- Withdrawal STRICT: 18 d slaughter cattle / 5 d swine
- Injection-site reaction
- Clinical response within 48 h (single-shot "hits and holds")

## Toxicity and overdose

Wide safety margin. Severe injection-site swelling possible in cattle. Horses: fatal colitis — never use.

## Clinical pearls

- Single-shot BRD therapy in feedlot — replaces 5-day florfenicol or tilmicosin schedule. Drop-off compliance solved
- Foot rot in cattle: 2.5 mg/kg SC single often clears acute interdigital necrobacillosis within 3 days
- Swine BPB / App: 2.5 mg/kg IM single in pen-level sick pigs is the standard parenteral macrolide
- NEVER use in horses — fatal colitis (similar mechanism to erythromycin colitis)
- Massive injection-site swelling at full 10 mL site — distribute over 2 sites in heavy calves

## Mechanism of action

Semi-synthetic triamilide (azalide subclass of macrolides). Binds 50S ribosome at the same site as erythromycin → inhibits bacterial protein synthesis. Unique tissue accumulation in alveolar macrophages and bronchial epithelial lining fluid — lung concentrations remain therapeutic for 8–10 days after single dose. Time-dependent killing with concentration-dependent post-antibiotic effect.

## Formulations and products

- Draxxin 100 mg/mL injection (single-shot SC for cattle, IM for swine)
- Draxxin (Zoetis (formerly Pfizer)) — 100 mg/mL, Single-shot SC (cattle) / IM (swine)

## Storage

15–25 °C protected from light. Multidose vial: discard 28 d after broaching.

## Before you use this dose

> **Caution:** 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

- [Tilmicosin](https://vetmasterji.com/drugs/tilmicosin)
- [Tinidazole](https://vetmasterji.com/drugs/tinidazole)
- [Tobramycin](https://vetmasterji.com/drugs/tobramycin)
- [Trimethoprim / Sulfadiazine (TMP-Sulfa)](https://vetmasterji.com/drugs/tmp-sulfa)
- [Tylvalosin](https://vetmasterji.com/drugs/tylvalosin)
- [Vancomycin](https://vetmasterji.com/drugs/vancomycin)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the dose of Tulathromycin for cattle?

Reference doses for Tulathromycin in cattle: 2.5 mg/kg SC single (BRD / foot rot / pinkeye — single shot SC). Confirm against the label and the patient before use.

### What is the dose of Tulathromycin for horses?

Reference doses for Tulathromycin in horses: 2.5 mg/kg IM once weekly (q5–7 days) (Foals — Rhodococcus equi (mild cases)). Confirm against the label and the patient before use.

### What is the dose of Tulathromycin for goats?

Reference doses for Tulathromycin in goats: 2.5 mg/kg SC once; repeat in 7 days if necessary (Pneumonia (M. haemolytica, P. multocida, Mycoplasma)). Confirm against the label and the patient before use.

### What is the withdrawal period for Tulathromycin?

Cattle, SC (BRD / foot rot / pinkeye — single shot SC): 18d slaughter; Goats, SC (Pneumonia (M. haemolytica, P. multocida, Mycoplasma)): 34d slaughter / 45d milk; Pigs, IM (Swine respiratory disease — single shot IM): 5d slaughter. Follow the product label and national regulations where they differ.

### When should Tulathromycin not be used?

Lactating dairy cattle (USA). Veal calves. Female dairy cattle ≥20 mo. Hypersensitivity to macrolides. Use in horses is CONTRAINDICATED — fatal colitis. Withdrawal must be respected.

### What are the side effects of Tulathromycin in animals?

Transient injection-site pain / swelling (esp. neck-SC route); Hyper-salivation, head-pressing (rare, transient); Hypersensitivity (rare).

## Sources

- Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook
- Papich, Papich Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 5th edition

---

VetMasterJi is a clinical decision-support and education platform for veterinary professionals and students. It does not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis or treatment for specific animals. All drug doses, calculators and differentials are references that must be independently verified before clinical use; the attending registered veterinarian remains solely responsible for every clinical decision.