Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Ceftiofur is dosed at 40 mg/kg SC q24-72h (CFA depot only) in rabbits, per Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Rabbits.a). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Rabbits.a). Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Swine respiratory diseaseTreatment of early mortality associatedUrinary tract infection (extra-label)Urinary tract infections
Mechanism of Action
Veterinary third-generation cephalosporin. Metabolized to desfuroylceftiofur which retains antimicrobial activity. Broad gram-negative coverage.
Side effects & warnings
Veterinary-labeled product. Excede formulation provides extended duration. Do not use in animals producing milk for human consumption during withdrawal.
Species with Ceftiofur dosing data (22 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Sample dosing (2 of 22 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 19 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.
NAXCEL (ceftiofur sodium) sterile powder [US product label], Zoetis. — Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.228Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023), Ceftiofur Sodium, p.228, CATS row; superscript 13 = Weese JS, Blondeau JM, Boothe D, et al. Antimicrobial use guidelines for treatment of urinary tract disease in dogs and cats: ISCAID working group. Vet Med Int. 2011;2011:263768Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
· 170. Newman L, Sander J, et al. Poultry drug use guide. In: Boulianne M, Brash ML, Fitz-Coy SH, et al. Avian Disease Manual, 7th ed., American Association of Avian Pathologists, Jacksonville, FL; 2013:263-267. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.619 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 6.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Backyard Poultry, Gamebirds, and Waterfowl.a,b).
· 188. Hellebuyck T, Pasmans F, Haesebrouck F, et al. Designing a successful antimicrobial treatment against Devriesea agamarum infections in lizards. Vet Microbiol. 2009;139:189-192. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.214 doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.05.003 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b).
· 219. Tell LA, Harrenstien L, Wetzlich S, et al. Pharmacokinetics of ceftiofur sodium in exotic and domestic avian species. J Vet Pharmacol Therap. 1998;21:85-91. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.619 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 6.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Backyard Poultry, Gamebirds, and Waterfowl.a,b).
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· 70. Divers SJ. Empirical doses of antimicrobial drugs commonly used in reptiles. Exot DVM. 1998;1:23. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1402
· 926. Tell L, Harrenstien L, Wetzlich S, et al. Pharmacokinetics of ceftiofur sodium in exotic and domestic avian species. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 1998;21:85-91. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.408 doi:10.1046/j.1365-2885.1998.00124.x — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Birds.a).
· 926. Tell L, Harrenstien L, Wetzlich S, et al. Pharmacokinetics of ceftiofur sodium in exotic and domestic avian species. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 1998;21:85-91. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.408 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Birds.a).
· Benson KG, Tell LA, Young LA, et al. Pharmacokinetics of ceftiofur sodium after intramuscular or subcutaneous administration in green iguanas (Iguana iguana). Am J Vet Res. 2003;64:1278-1282. doi:10.2460/ajvr.2003.64.1278 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b).
· Carpenter's 6th ed. p.214 (ceftiofur sodium, lizards/bearded dragons); Mader's Table 127.1 '5 mg/kg SC, IM q24h - Lizards/PK; ceftiofur sodium'; Plumb's Ceftiofur REPTILES, '5 mg/kg, IM or SC, every 24 hours' (green iguana PK) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.05.003 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b).
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Rabbits.a). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Rabbits.a).
· Divers SJ. Empirical doses of antimicrobial drugs commonly used in reptiles. Exot DVM. 1998;1:23. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1402
· FARAD Withdrawal Guidelines [2026-08-05: FARAD (Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, https://www.farad.org/) publishes meat/milk WITHDRAWAL intervals for extralabel use — it is not a dosing authority. This dose could not be corroborated in Plumb's 10th ed for this species, unlike the other 15 FARAD-cited rules. Needs a product label or primary reference before it can be considered sourced.] — 21 CFR § 522.313c (Ceftiofur sodium), conditions of use for Goats: 1.1023-2.2046 mg/kg (the regulation prints this per pound; converted at 2.2046226 lb/kg). Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.113. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-522.313c
· FARAD Withdrawal Guidelines [2026-08-05: FARAD (Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank, https://www.farad.org/) publishes meat/milk WITHDRAWAL intervals for extralabel use — it is not a dosing authority. This dose could not be corroborated in Plumb's 10th ed for this species, unlike the other 15 FARAD-cited rules. Needs a product label or primary reference before it can be considered sourced.] — 21 CFR § 522.313c (Ceftiofur sodium), conditions of use for Sheep: 1.1023-2.2046 mg/kg (the regulation prints this per pound; converted at 2.2046226 lb/kg). Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.113. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-522.313c
· Gauvin J. Drug therapy in reptiles. Seminars in Avian & Exotic Med. 1993;2:48-59. PMID: 36402488 — Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.229
· Hellebuyck T, Pasmans F, Haesebrouck F, et al. Designing a successful antimicrobial treatment against Devriesea agamarum infections in lizards. Vet Microbiol. 2009;139:189-192. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.214 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Reptiles.a,b).
· Langston VC. Antimicrobial use in food animals (Table 5). In: Howard JL, Smith RA, eds. Current Veterinary Therapy 4-Food Animal Practice; WB Saunders, Philadelphia, PA; 1999:26.; Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2016. doi:10.1016/c2013-0-00632-9 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 12.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Miniature Pigs.a,b). — 21 CFR § 522.313c (Ceftiofur sodium), conditions of use for Swine: 3-5 mg/kg. Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.113. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-522.313c
· Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 5th ed — Ceftiofur Sodium, Large Animal Dosage, printed p.142: "Sheep and Goats • 1.1-2.2 mg/kg (0.5-1.0 mg/pound) q24h for 3 days IM, SQ. Additional doses may be […]" Same page, Instructions for Use: "Ceftiofur sodium is bioequivalent whether administered SQ or IM." — 21 CFR § 522.313c (Ceftiofur sodium), conditions of use for Goats: 1.1023-2.2046 mg/kg (the regulation prints this per pound; converted at 2.2046226 lb/kg). Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.113. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-522.313c — EDITION CORRECTED 2026-08-07: this citation named the 5th edition, which is not held. The page locator resolves in the 4th ed (2016), the copy actually consulted, and that page names the drug; the reference is to the 4th.
· Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 5th ed — Ceftiofur Sodium, Large Animal Dosage, printed p.142: "Sheep and Goats • 1.1-2.2 mg/kg (0.5-1.0 mg/pound) q24h for 3 days IM, SQ. Additional doses may be […]" Same page, Instructions for Use: "Ceftiofur sodium is bioequivalent whether administered SQ or IM." — 21 CFR § 522.313c (Ceftiofur sodium), conditions of use for Sheep: 1.1023-2.2046 mg/kg (the regulation prints this per pound; converted at 2.2046226 lb/kg). Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.113. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-522.313c — EDITION CORRECTED 2026-08-07: this citation named the 5th edition, which is not held. The page locator resolves in the 4th ed (2016), the copy actually consulted, and that page names the drug; the reference is to the 4th.
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023), Ceftiofur Sodium, p.228, CATS row; superscript 13 = Weese JS, Blondeau JM, Boothe D, et al. Antimicrobial use guidelines for treatment of urinary tract disease in dogs and cats: ISCAID working group. Vet Med Int. 2011;2011:263768