Tylvalosin: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Antibiotic

Also known as

Aivlosin, Acetylisovaleryltylosin

Species with doses

Pigs and Poultry

General dose range

5–20 mg/kg PO q24h (in water/feed) — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

PO

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Swine enzootic pneumonia (Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae)
• Porcine proliferative enteropathy / ileitis (Lawsonia intracellularis)
• Swine dysentery (Brachyspira) — control
• Poultry respiratory/Mycoplasma (M. gallisepticum) disease

Tylvalosin 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.

Pigs

• Enzootic pneumonia / ileitis (water/feed): Label-sourced — neither Papich 5e nor Plumb’s has a tylvalosin monograph. Dose, duration and withdrawal differ by formulation (granules for water vs premix) and indication; follow the local product label.

Poultry

• Respiratory / Mycoplasma (water): Label-sourced — no Papich 5e or Plumb’s monograph. Follow the local label for dose, duration, meat withdrawal and egg restrictions.

Contraindications

Adult horses / hindgut fermenters (fatal colitis — macrolide class). Macrolide hypersensitivity. Lactating animals producing milk for human consumption (per label). Observe food-animal withdrawal. Known hypersensitivity.

Species-specific warnings

Horses: Macrolide — fatal colitis in adult horses; strictly a pig/poultry product.

Adverse effects

• Generally well tolerated in target species
• Reduced water/feed intake if palatability poor
• Fatal colitis in horses/rabbits (class effect)

Drug interactions

• Other macrolides/lincosamides: cross-resistance
• Ionophores (monensin): caution as with some macrolide-ionophore interactions
• No major small-molecule interactions at label use

Pregnancy and lactation

Considered safe in pregnant pigs/poultry at label doses.

Monitoring

• Herd/flock clinical and production response
• Water/feed intake (palatability)
• Withdrawal compliance
• Macrolide stewardship

Toxicity and overdose

Wide margin in target species; overdose may reduce intake or cause GI signs. The catastrophic toxicity is species-specific — fatal colitis if it reaches horses or rabbits.

Management: Supportive; no specific antidote. Treat colitis aggressively if accidentally given to a hindgut fermenter. Manage GI signs symptomatically.

Clinical pearls

• A swine/poultry water- or feed-medication macrolide — strong against Mycoplasma, Lawsonia (ileitis) and Brachyspira with high intracellular/tissue levels
• Prepare medicated water fresh daily and ensure it is the only water source for reliable intake
• Never let it reach horses/rabbits (fatal colitis); observe food-animal withdrawal
• A useful option for proliferative enteropathy (ileitis) control in grow-finish pigs

Mechanism of action

A macrolide that binds the 50S ribosomal subunit (23S rRNA), blocking translocation in bacterial protein synthesis — bacteriostatic against Mycoplasma, Lawsonia, Brachyspira and many Gram-positives. It accumulates in tissues and phagocytes (high intracellular levels suit the intracellular pathogens it targets) and has some anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory effects on the respiratory mucosa.

Formulations and products

• Water-soluble granules (Aivlosin)
• Feed premix
• Aivlosin (ECO Animal Health) — Water-soluble granules / premix, Soluble granules / premix

Storage

Granules/premix: 15–30 °C, dry, protect from light/moisture. Medicated water: prepare fresh daily.

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

• Tinidazole
• Tobramycin
• Trimethoprim / Sulfadiazine (TMP-Sulfa)
• Tulathromycin
• Vancomycin

Frequently asked questions