Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Praziquantel is dosed at 8–10 mg/kg PO once, repeat in 14 days in ball pythons, per Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles, p.230: 'Praziquantel 8-10 mg/kg PO, SC, IM, repeat in 14 days' (Most species/cestodes, trematodes). Superscripts 243, 396 = Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, Sladky KK, et al. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, ed. Exotic Animal Formulary, 5th ed. Elsevier; 2018:81-166 / Rockwell K, Mitchell MM. Antiparasitic therapy. In: Divers SJ, ed.. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
Increases cell membrane permeability to calcium in susceptible helminths, causing spastic paralysis, detachment, and disintegration.
Side effects & warnings
May cause transient GI upset, drooling (especially in cats). Safe in pregnant animals. Effective primarily against cestodes (tapeworms) and trematodes (flukes).
Species with Praziquantel dosing data (18 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Backed by 15 published sources
· 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. / 232. Doneley B. Formulary. In: Doneley B, eds. Avian Medicine and Surgery in Practice: Companion and Aviary Birds; Manson Publishing, London, UK; 2011:285-320. / 159. Formulary. In: Chitty J, Lierz M, eds. BSAVA Manual of Raptors, Pigeons and Passerine Birds; BSAVA, Gloucester, UK; 2008:384-390. / 379. Harlin RW. Practical pigeon medicine. Proc Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet; 2006:249-262. doi:10.1016/b978-0-7234-3832-8.00023-7 — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.440 (2026-08-01).
· Brust DM, Mans C. Sugar gliders. In: Carpenter JW, eds. Exotic Animal Formulary, 5th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2018:432-442. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.706 (2026-08-01).
· Carpenter 6e
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles, p.230: 'Praziquantel 8-10 mg/kg PO, SC, IM, repeat in 14 days' (Most species/cestodes, trematodes). Superscripts 243, 396 = Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, Sladky KK, et al. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, ed. Exotic Animal Formulary, 5th ed. Elsevier; 2018:81-166 / Rockwell K, Mitchell MM. Antiparasitic therapy. In: Divers SJ, ed.
Sample dosing (2 of 18 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 13 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.
Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed, Praziquantel monograph, p.1082, CATS single-agent (e), ref 14 = Conboy G. Cestodes of dogs and cats in North America. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2009;39(6):1075-1090
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· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed. (2023), p.738; corroborated by Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents, 4th ed., Appendix Table A.3, PDF p.637 (printed p.625), Hedgehogs column.
· Conboy G. Cestodes of dogs and cats in North America. Vet Clin North Am Small Animal Pract. 2009;39(6):1075-1090, vi. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2009.06.005 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.1082 (2026-08-01).
· Droncit Injectable and Tablets [Package Insert]. Shawnee Mission, KS: Bayer Animal Health; 2003. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.1081 (2026-08-01).
· Equimax Paste [Package Insert]. Bimeda; 2012. / 36. Slocombe J. A modified critical test and its use in two dose titration trials to assess efficacy of praziquantel for Anoplocephala perfoliata in equids. Vet Parasitol. 2006;136(2):127-135. — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.1082 (2026-08-01).
· Fehr M, Sassenburg L, Zwart P. Krankheiten der Heimtiere, 8th ed., Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; 2015. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.779 (2026-08-01).
· Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed, Praziquantel monograph, p.1082, CATS single-agent (e), ref 14 = Conboy G. Cestodes of dogs and cats in North America. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2009;39(6):1075-1090
· Quesenberry KE, Orcutt CJ, Mans C, Carpenter JW. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th Ed. Appendix: Formulary, Table A.3 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Small Mammals), Rabbits column - 'Praziquantel 5-10 mg/kg PO, SC, IM, repeat in 10 days'. Corpus page 637 (printed page 625). Number corroborated by BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th Ed Part B: Exotic Pets, printed p.248 / corpus p.262: 'Rabbits: 5-10 mg/kg p.o., repeat in 10 days'.
Praziquantel (Droncit) Dosage for Ferrets | ExoticRx