What is Levamisole used for?

Levamisole is indicated for: Adjunctive therapy, ascarids, Capillaria, GI nematodes, including lungworms, intestinal strongyles, lungworms, Lungworms (Rhabdias spp.), Nematode (roundworm) infection, Nematode infections (Ascaridia), Nematodes, Nematodes (anthelmintic), Nematodes (antiparasitic).

What routes can Levamisole be administered by?

Available routes: PO, SC, Topical.

Which species have cited Levamisole dosing data?

Levamisole dosing in the ExoticRx formulary covers 20 species: African Clawed Frog, African Grey Parrot, African Pygmy Hedgehog, Axolotl, Ball Python, Betta (Siamese fighting fish), Cattle (Beef/Dairy), Dog (Domestic), Domestic Pigeon, Fire Salamander, Goat (Caprine), Goldfish, Green-cheeked Conure, Houston Toad, Koi, Red-eared Slider, Sheep (Ovine), Sugar Glider, Swine (Pig), White's Tree Frog.

Is Levamisole a controlled substance?

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

What are the warnings or contraindications for Levamisole?

Narrow safety margin — toxicity causes cholinergic signs (salivation, tremors, dyspnea). TOXIC to dogs at high doses. Immunomodulatory use at low doses.

What are the side effects of Levamisole?

Reported side effects, adverse reactions, and contraindications for Levamisole: Narrow safety margin — toxicity causes cholinergic signs (salivation, tremors, dyspnea). TOXIC to dogs at high doses. Immunomodulatory use at low doses.

How does Levamisole work?

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist causing sustained muscle contraction and paralysis in nematodes. Also has immunostimulant properties.

Levamisole

US brand names:Levasole, Tramisol

Calculate dosage

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

Levamisole is dosed at 10 mg/kg SC once, repeat in 14 days in ball pythons, per Luppi M, Costa M, Malta M, et al. Treatment of Rhabdias labiata with levamisole and ivermectin in boa constrictor (Boa constrictor amarali). Veterinaria Noticias. 2007;13:61-65. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.227 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles). 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. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Antiparasitic

Routes

POSCTopical

Backed by 14 published sources

· 29. Isenbügel E, Baumgartner R. Diseases of the hedgehog. In: Fowler M, eds. Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine: Current Therapy, 3rd ed., WB Saunders, Philadelphia, PA; 1993:294-302. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.737 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 8.3 (Antiparasitic 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; Fowler's Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine: Current Therapy — ISBN 9780323828529, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323828529
·

Sample dosing (1 of 27 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 20 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	2–5 mg/kg	q48h	Weak	Johnson KC, Mackin A. Canine immune-mediated polyarthritis: part 2: diagnosis and treatment. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2012;48(2):71-82. PMID: 22267168 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.771 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.744, Levamisole monograph spanning p.743-745; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 — CEILING: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, Levamisole monograph, printed p.771 — "2 - 5 mg/kg (maximum of 150 mg/dog; NOT mg/kg) PO every 48 hours".

43. Bailey TA, Apo MM. Pharmaceutics commonly used in avian medicine. In: Samour J, eds. Avian Medicine, 3rd ed., Mosby Elsevier, Edinburgh, Scotland; 2016:637-678. | 510. Lacasse C. Falconiformes... In: Miller RE, Fowler ME, eds. Fowler's Wild Animal Medicine. 2015;Vol 8, Elsevier, St. Louis, MO, 127-142. | 564. MacLean RA, Beaufrère H. Gruiformes (cranes, limpkins, rails, gallinules, coots, bustards). In: Miller RE, Fowler ME, eds. Fowler's Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 2015;Vol 8, Elsevier, St. Louis, MO, 155-163. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.436 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Birds). 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; Avian Medicine (Samour) — ISBN 9780723438328, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780723438328; Fowler's Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine: Current Therapy — ISBN 9780323828529, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323828529

· 43. Bailey TA, Apo MM. Pharmaceutics commonly used in avian medicine. In: Samour J, eds. Avian Medicine, 3rd ed., Mosby Elsevier, Edinburgh, Scotland; 2016:637-678. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.436 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Birds). 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; Avian Medicine (Samour) — ISBN 9780723438328, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780723438328

· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 5.4 (corpus PDF pp.430-433); located 2026-08-06 by chapter-governed table: this table is in the chapter covering this species and names this drug. NOTE: the served figure was matched against the table as a whole, not against this drug's own row, so confirm the number on the page before relying on it. The held copy has no printed page numbers, so the numbered table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929

· Corum O, Durna Corum D, Atik O, Altan F, Er A, Uney K. Pharmacokinetics of levamisole in the red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans). J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2019;42(6):654-659. doi:10.1111/jvp.12763 https://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/30933367 — SOURCE TYPE: this citation is a PHARMACOKINETIC study, by its own title ("Pharmacokinetics of levamisole in the red-eared slider turtles"), not a therapeutic efficacy trial. The served figure is a disposition dose. — PRINTED DETAIL MISSING FROM THIS RULE (retrieved 2026-08-19): 10 mg/kg SC, IM63 | Chelonians (red-eared sliders)/PK; no local or systemic adverse effect was observed following administration in nine turtles; entirely absorbed — Carpenter's 6th ed, Table 4.4 Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles, corpus p.227; missing caution on same row: "very narrow range of safety … avoid use in debilitated animals"

· Hoste H, Sotiraki S, Torres-Acosta JFD. Control of endoparasitic nematode infections in goats. Vet Clin North Am Food Animal Pract. 2011;27(1):163-173. doi:10.1016/j.cvfa.2010.10.008; Byers S. Internal and external parasites. Presented at: Wild West Veterinary Conference; 2014. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-092532-5.50014-3; Menzies P. Control of gastrointestinal parasitism part 2. Presented at: Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA); 2014. PMID: 12495373 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.772 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.743, Levamisole monograph spanning p.743-745; 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; Zoo Animal and Wildlife Immobilization and Anesthesia — ISBN 9780813811833, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780813811833

· Jacela JY, DeRouchey JM, Tokach MD, et al. Feed additives for swine: fact sheets - carcass modifiers, carbohydrate-degrading enzymes and proteases, and anthelmintics. J Swine Health Prod. 2009;17(6):325-332. doi:10.54846/jshap/624b; Karriker LA, Coetzee JF, Friendship RM, et al. Drug pharmacology, therapy, and prophylaxis. In: Zimmerman JJ, Karriker LA, Ramirez A, et al. Diseases of Swine, 11th ed., John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ; 2019:168. doi:10.1002/9781119350927.ch10; Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2016. doi:10.1016/c2013-0-00632-9 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.995 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 12.3 (Antiparasitic Agents (Internal Parasites) Used in Miniature Pigs.a,b). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — 21 CFR § 520.1242a (Levamisole powder), conditions of use for Swine: 8-8 mg/kg. Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.350. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-520.1242a — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, ; Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855,

· Johnson KC, Mackin A. Canine immune-mediated polyarthritis: part 2: diagnosis and treatment. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2012;48(2):71-82. PMID: 22267168 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.771 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.744, Levamisole monograph spanning p.743-745; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 — CEILING: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, Levamisole monograph, printed p.771 — "2 - 5 mg/kg (maximum of 150 mg/dog; NOT mg/kg) PO every 48 hours".

· LEVAMED SOLUBLE DRENCH POWDER - Levamisole Hydrochloride Powder [US Product Label for Cattle and Sheep]. Bimeda, Inc.; 2019. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=a5cd77e0-af84-4ef6-b0bf-b3dc706352c3 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.771 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.744, Levamisole monograph spanning p.743-745; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — 21 CFR § 520.1242a (Levamisole powder), conditions of use for Cattle: 8-8 mg/kg. Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.350. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-520.1242a — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207

· Luppi M, Costa M, Malta M, et al. Treatment of Rhabdias labiata with levamisole and ivermectin in boa constrictor (Boa constrictor amarali). Veterinaria Noticias. 2007;13:61-65. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.227 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles). 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

· 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.706 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.2 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Sugar Gliders). Located 2026-08-05: the only table covering this species in which the drug's own row prints this dose. The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9780323484350, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323484350

· Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.191. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.191' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.177; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.177. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712

· Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.192. — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.192' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.178; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.178. — SOURCE EDITION: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, Part B — Exotic Pets — ISBN 9781910443712, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781910443712

· US FDA. PROHIBIT (levamisole HCl) Soluble Drench Powder, ANADA 200-225, Huvepharma. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=baf0da35-573e-4abb-bdef-18870d5f5f72 - cattle and sheep; sheep 8 mg/kg single oral drench; sheep meat withdrawal 72 h; do not use in dairy animals of breeding age. — 21 CFR § 520.1242a (Levamisole powder), conditions of use for Sheep: 8-8 mg/kg. Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.350. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-520.1242a

Levamisole

Drug Class

Routes

Indications

Mechanism of Action

Side effects & warnings

Species with Levamisole dosing data (27 dose rules)

Evidence levels across 27 dose rules

Backed by 14 published sources

Sample dosing (1 of 27 cited rules)

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Levamisole

Drug Class

Routes

Indications

Mechanism of Action

Side effects & warnings

Species with Levamisole dosing data (27 dose rules)

Evidence levels across 27 dose rules

Backed by 14 published sources

Sample dosing (1 of 27 cited rules)

Upgrade for Full Details

Articles mentioning Levamisole

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