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. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles). Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist causing sustained muscle contraction and paralysis in nematodes. Also has immunostimulant properties.
Side effects & warnings
Narrow safety margin — toxicity causes cholinergic signs (salivation, tremors, dyspnea). TOXIC to dogs at high doses. Immunomodulatory use at low doses.
Species with Levamisole dosing data (27 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
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.
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 — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.744, Levamisole monograph spanning p.743-745. — 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".
· 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).
· 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).
· 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).
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· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed, Table 5.4. 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.
· 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.12763https://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; 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 — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.743, Levamisole monograph spanning p.743-745.
· 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 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 12.3 (Antiparasitic Agents (Internal Parasites) Used in Miniature Pigs.a,b). — 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
· 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 — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.744, Levamisole monograph spanning p.743-745. — 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".
· 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. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles).
· 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).
· Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.177.
· Ramsey I, ed. BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed. Part B: Exotic Pets. Gloucester: British Small Animal Veterinary Association; 2023. p.178.