Cat · Felis catus · typical adult weight 2.50–7.00 kg
Enrofloxacin is dosed at 5 mg/kg IM q24h in cats, per Plumb's 10th ed printed p.453, Enrofloxacin monograph spanning p.450-454. Enrofloxacin is used in cats for Bacterial infections when oral not feasible, Severe systemic infections, Bacterial infections (skin, UTI, respiratory), Mycoplasma haemofelis. Routes documented in cats: IM, IV, PO, SC. A typical adult cat weighs 2.50–7.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 5 cited dose rules for Enrofloxacin in cats, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Baytril
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 5 mg/kg | q24h | Until oral feasible | Bacterial infections when oral not feasible | Strong | Plumb's 10th ed printed p.453, Enrofloxacin monograph spanning p.450-454.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
| IV | 5 mg/kg | q24h | Until oral feasible | Severe systemic infections | Strong | Plumb's 10th ed printed p.453, Enrofloxacin monograph spanning p.450-454.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
| PO | 5 mg/kg | q24h | 7-14 days | Bacterial infections (skin, UTI, respiratory) | Strong | Baytril - Enrofloxacin Tablet, Coated [US Product Label for Dogs and Cats]. Elanco US Inc; 2020. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=5012fe70-6394-45f5-be75-04297e39574d — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.453, Enrofloxacin monograph spanning p.450-454. |
| PO | 5 mg/kg | q24h | 14-21 days | Mycoplasma haemofelis | Moderate | Baytril - Enrofloxacin Tablet, Coated [US Product Label for Dogs and Cats]. Elanco US Inc; 2020. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=5012fe70-6394-45f5-be75-04297e39574d — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.453, Enrofloxacin monograph spanning p.450-454. |
| SC | 5 mg/kg | q24h | 7-14 days | Bacterial infections | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023) — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.453, Enrofloxacin monograph spanning p.450-454.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure. |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | SC | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.164 | 5 mg/kg s.c. q24h; 2.5 mg/kg p.o. q12h or 5 mg/kg p.o. q24h. |
| 2.5 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.164 | 5 mg/kg s.c. q24h; 2.5 mg/kg p.o. q12h or 5 mg/kg p.o. q24h. |
| 5 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.164 | 5 mg/kg s.c. q24h; 2.5 mg/kg p.o. q12h or 5 mg/kg p.o. q24h. |
| 5 |
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Inhibits bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, preventing DNA replication and transcription.
Avoid in growing animals (cartilage damage). Do NOT use in cats at doses >5mg/kg (retinal toxicity). Avoid concurrent use with theophylline.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for cats may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Enrofloxacin dose ranges in cats, with cited source references: IM 5 mg/kg q24h; IV 5 mg/kg q24h; PO 5 mg/kg q24h; PO 5 mg/kg q24h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Enrofloxacin in cats: IM, IV, PO, SC.
Cited course lengths for Enrofloxacin in cats include: Until oral feasible; 7-14 days; 14-21 days. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Enrofloxacin is indicated in cats for: Bacterial infections when oral not feasible, Severe systemic infections, Bacterial infections (skin, UTI, respiratory), Mycoplasma haemofelis, Bacterial infections.
These are general warnings for Enrofloxacin across species; consult the cat dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Avoid in growing animals (cartilage damage). Do NOT use in cats at doses >5mg/kg (retinal toxicity). Avoid concurrent use with theophylline.
Why a species-specific page? Enrofloxacin pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in cats — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.
| PO |
| Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.317 |
| • 5 mg/kg/day PO or IM. (Avoid IV |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.