Is Griseofulvin a controlled substance?

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

Griseofulvin

US brand names:Fulvicin, Grisovin

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

Griseofulvin is dosed at 12.5–25 mg/kg PO q12-24h x 30-45 days in rabbits, per Quesenberry KE. Rabbits. In: Birchard SJ, Sherding RG, eds. Saunders Manual of Small Animal Practice; WB Saunders, Philadelphia, PA; 1994:1345-1362. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.846 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.2 (Antifungal Agents Used in Rabbits.a). Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Antifungal

Routes

Indications

Dermatophytes Dermatophytosis Dermatophytosis (advanced cases)Dermatophytosis (ringworm)dermatophytosis/mycosisfungal dermatitisFungal infection Refractory dermatomycosis

Mechanism of Action

Inhibits fungal mitosis by disrupting mitotic spindle microtubules. Deposits in keratin precursor cells, preventing fungal invasion of new growth.

Side effects & warnings

TERATOGENIC — CONTRAINDICATED in pregnant animals. Bone marrow suppression (especially cats — monitor CBC). Give with fatty food (enhances absorption). Cats: FIV-positive at higher risk of toxicity. 4-8 week course minimum.

Species with Griseofulvin dosing data (11 dose rules)

African Pygmy Hedgehog Ball Python Bearded Dragon Blue-tongue Skink Cat (Domestic)Dog (Domestic)Domestic Pigeon Eastern Box Turtle Ferret Rabbit (Domestic)Sugar Glider

Species references:All African Pygmy Hedgehog drugs All Ball Python drugs All Bearded Dragon drugs All Blue-tongue Skink drugs

Evidence levels across 11 dose rules

Weak×8Moderate×3

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

Sample dosing (2 of 11 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 11 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
Cat (Domestic)	PO	25–50 mg/kg	q12-24h	Moderate	Muller & Kirk's Small Animal Dermatology, 7th Ed, p.227Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
Dog (Domestic)	PO	25–50 mg/kg	q12-24h	Weak	Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs: Small and Large Animal, 4th ed. (Elsevier, 2016), Griseofulvin, printed p.368, Small Animal Dosage — Dogs, Microsize: '25 mg/kg q12h PO, up to a maximum dose of 50-60 mg/kg q12h'. Instructions for Use, same monograph: 'Consider 25 mg/kg q12h initially, and then increase to 50-60 mg/kg q12h for problem cases.'Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

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Backed by 11 published sourcesShow

· 149. Jepson L. Lizards. Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier; 2009:268-314. | 150. Jepson L. Snakes. Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier; 2009:315-357. | 151. Jepson L. Turtles and tortoises. Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier; 2009:358-411. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, p.1404 — PRINTED DETAIL MISSING FROM THIS RULE (retrieved 2026-08-19): *"Griseofulvin | 15 mg/kg PO q72h²²¹˒²²²˒²⁴³ | Most species"* — Carpenter's 6e, Table 4.3 (Antifungal Agents Used in Reptiles); identical row in Mader's 3e p.1194, Table 127.1. Missing printed caution, Mader's p.979: *"Griseofulvin has been shown to be teratogenic in pregnant animals of many species."*
· 221. Jepson L. Snakes. Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide, Saunders/Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA; 2009:315-357. / 222. Jepson L. Turtles and tortoises. In: Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide, Saunders/Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA; 2009:358-411. / 243. Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, Sladky KK, et al. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, eds. Exotic Animal Formulary, 5th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2018:81-166. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.221 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.3 (Antifungal Agents Used in Reptiles).

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Calculate Dosage for Griseofulvin

· 25. Heatley J. Hedgehogs. In: Mitchell MA, Tully TN Jr., eds. Manual of Exotic Pet Practice; Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2009:433-455. | 30. Jepson L. Hedgehogs. In: Jepson L, eds. Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide, 2nd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2016:198-230. | 34. Johnson D. African pygmy hedgehogs. In: Meredith A, Johnson-Delaney C, eds. BSAVA Manual of Exotic Pets, 5th ed., British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Gloucester, UK; 2010:139-147. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.735 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8.2 (Antifungal Agents Used in Hedgehogs). — VOLUME CORRECTED 2026-08-07: this citation named BSAVA Part B (Exotic Pets), which does not contain Griseofulvin. BSAVA ships as two separate volumes and the drug is in BSAVA Part A (Canine & Feline); the reference is to that volume.

· 802. Samour J. Pharmaceutics commonly used in avian medicine. In: Samour J, eds. Avian Medicine; Mosby, Philadelphia, PA; 2000:388-418. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.425 doi:10.1016/b978-0-7234-3832-8.00023-7 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.2 (Antifungal Agents Used in Birds). — RETRIEVED FINDING - CHANGE REQUIRED (retrieved 2026-08-19): *"Griseofulvin | Grisovin 125-mg tablets (Mallinckrodt) | Pigeons | Crop tube | 10 mg/kg q12h for 21 d | Dermatophytosis"* — Samour, Avian Medicine 3e, p.652, Appendix 6. This RAISES the served dose from 10 to 20 mg/kg/day. — SOURCE ROW: BSAVA Manual of Raptors, Pigeons and Waterfowl, "Skin Conditions" — "The use of griseofulvin (10mg/kg daily for 21 days given as a crushed tablet suspension in water […]" — the served dose, route and 21-day course verbatim. NOTE ON THE ALTERNATIVE: Carpenter's and Samour Appendix 6 p.652 print 10 mg/kg q12h x21 days for pigeons, but Carpenter's superscript 802 resolves to Samour, so those two are one lineage rather than independent corroboration.

· Jepson L. Snakes. Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide, Saunders/Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA; 2009:315-357. | Jepson L. Turtles and tortoises. In: Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide, Saunders/Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA; 2009:358-411. | Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, Sladky KK, et al. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, eds. Exotic Animal Formulary, 5th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2018:81-166. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.221 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.3 (Antifungal Agents Used in Reptiles).

· Jepson L. Snakes. Exotic Animal Medicine: A Quick Reference Guide, Saunders/Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA; 2009:315-357. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.221 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.3 (Antifungal Agents Used in Reptiles).

· Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, OrcuttCJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.934 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 11.2 (Antifungal Agents Used in Ferrets).

· Muller & Kirk's Small Animal Dermatology, 7th Ed, p.227

· Ness RD, Johnson-Delaney C. Sugar gliders. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2012:393-410. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.704 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.1 (Antimicrobial and Antifungal Agents Used in Sugar Gliders).

· Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs: Small and Large Animal, 4th ed. (Elsevier, 2016), Griseofulvin, printed p.368, Small Animal Dosage — Dogs, Microsize: '25 mg/kg q12h PO, up to a maximum dose of 50-60 mg/kg q12h'. Instructions for Use, same monograph: 'Consider 25 mg/kg q12h initially, and then increase to 50-60 mg/kg q12h for problem cases.'

· Quesenberry KE. Rabbits. In: Birchard SJ, Sherding RG, eds. Saunders Manual of Small Animal Practice; WB Saunders, Philadelphia, PA; 1994:1345-1362. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.846 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.2 (Antifungal Agents Used in Rabbits.a).