Is Famotidine a controlled substance?

Famotidine is not federally scheduled in the US. Controlled-drug status differs by country — verify your local rules.

What are the side effects of Famotidine?

Reported side effects, adverse reactions, and contraindications for Famotidine: Generally well-tolerated. Adjust dose in renal impairment. Less effective than proton pump inhibitors at acid suppression.

Famotidine

US brand names:Pepcid

Calculate dosage

Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.

Famotidine is dosed at 0.026 mg/kg SC q48h in corn snakes, per Gastric Intussusceptions in a Red Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) Associated with Cryptosporidiosis. Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine. 2017; Article ID 4270904. DOI 10.1155/2017/4270904; PMID 29955428; PMCID PMC6005285. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6005285/. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Gastrointestinal

Routes

POIVSC

Indications

Acute gastritisAcute GI ulceration Gastric acid reductionGastric protectionGastric ulceration Gastric ulceration/hyperacidity (H2 blocker)Gastric ulcers adjunct GI ulceration preventionHelicobacterMast cell tumor gastric protectionPost-operative treatment (gastric acid suppression)Prevention or treatment of gastric ulcers Renal failure gastric protectionstress gastritisStress gastritis prevention

Mechanism of Action

Competitively blocks histamine H2 receptors on parietal cells, reducing basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion.

Side effects & warnings

Generally well-tolerated. Adjust dose in renal impairment. Less effective than proton pump inhibitors at acid suppression.

Species with Famotidine dosing data (17 dose rules)

African Pygmy Hedgehog Cat (Domestic)Chinchilla Corn Snake Dog (Domestic)Ferret Guinea Pig Horse (Equine)Rabbit (Domestic)

Species references:All African Pygmy Hedgehog drugs All Cat (Domestic) drugs All Chinchilla drugs All Corn Snake drugs All Dog (Domestic) drugs All Ferret drugs All Guinea Pig drugs

Evidence levels across 17 dose rules

Weak×3Strong×7Moderate×3Anecdotal×1Extrapolated×3

Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.

Backed by 10 published sources

· 58. Powers L. Subcutaneous implantable catheter for fluid administration in an African pygmy hedgehog. Exot DVM. 2002;4(5):16-17. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.744 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Hedgehogs). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed., Table 9.7 Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents, p.800. Corroborated by BSAVA Part B p.127 ('Guinea pigs: 0.4 mg/kg p.o., s.c. q24h') and FRR 4th ed. Appendix Table A.5 p.629 (Guinea Pigs/Chinchillas: 0.4-0.5 mg/kg PO, SC q24h) — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712; Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929

Sample dosing (2 of 17 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 9 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.

Species	Route	Dose	Frequency	Evidence	Source
Dog (Domestic)	PO	0.5–1 mg/kg	q12-24h	Strong	Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.527 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.499, Famotidine monograph spanning p.499-500; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207
Dog (Domestic)	SC	0.5–1 mg/kg	q12-24h	Strong	Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.527 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.499, Famotidine monograph spanning p.499-500; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207,

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Ferret Drug Dosing: A Vet Reference
Antibiotic, analgesic, antiparasitic, and adrenal/insulinoma dosing for Mustela putorius furo — and the ferret-specific physiology that should change your prescribing.

Calculate Dosage for Famotidine

· Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery (Quesenberry et al.), Table 3.1, printed p.29 (corpus PDF p.41) — SOURCE EDITION: Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9780323484350, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323484350

· Fiorello CV. Personal communication; 2011.; Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.891 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.499, Famotidine monograph spanning p.499-500; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.18 (Treatments Used in the Management of Rabbit Gastrointestinal Syndrome (RGIS).a). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207; Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929

· Gastric Intussusceptions in a Red Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) Associated with Cryptosporidiosis. Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine. 2017; Article ID 4270904. DOI 10.1155/2017/4270904; PMID 29955428; PMCID PMC6005285. URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6005285/

· Meredith A. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary: Part B: Exotic Pets, British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, UK; 2015. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.800 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712; Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929

· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.499, Famotidine monograph spanning p.499-500; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207

· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed. (2023), printed p.500 (corpus plumb p.527), Famotidine, Dosages — HORSES. Underlying source: Duran SH, Ravis WR. Comparative pharmacokinetics of H2 antagonists in horses. Presented at: ACVIM Forum; 1993 (Plumb's ref 12). — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207

· Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.527 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.499, Famotidine monograph spanning p.499-500; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, verified to name the drug in its body text. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 — Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (held), Famotidine monograph, printed p.500 (corpus PDF p.527), Dosages, DOGS & CATS: "1 mg/kg PO, SC, or IV (slowly over at least 5 minutes) every 12 hours."; same page, Adverse Effects: "Rapid IV infusion may cause bradycardia." [NOTES CORRECTED 2026-08-12, two readers.]