Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Praziquantel is dosed at 5 mg/kg IM once in dogs, per 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). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.1053, Praziquantel/Praziquantel Combination Products monograph spanning p.1053-1056; 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. Praziquantel is used in dogs for Tapeworms when oral/SC not feasible, Tapeworms (Dipylidium, Taenia), Tapeworms. Routes documented in dogs: IM, PO, SC. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 3 cited dose rules for Praziquantel in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Droncit
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM | 5 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Tapeworms when oral/SC not feasible | Strong | 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). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.1053, Praziquantel/Praziquantel Combination Products monograph spanning p.1053-1056; 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 |
| PO | 5–10 mg/kg | once | Single dose; repeat if reinfection | Tapeworms (Dipylidium, Taenia) | Strong | 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). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.1053, Praziquantel/Praziquantel Combination Products monograph spanning p.1053-1056; 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 |
| SC | 5 mg/kg | once | Single dose | Tapeworms | Strong | 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). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.1053, Praziquantel/Praziquantel Combination Products monograph spanning p.1053-1056; 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 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/animal) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11.4 | SC | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • 1.8 kg to 2.2 kg: 11.4 mg/cat SQ or IM. |
| 11.4 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • ,1.8 kg: 11.4 mg/cat PO. |
| 34.1 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • .5 kg: 34.5 mg/cat, PO, or 34.1 mg/cat, SQ or IM. |
| 34.5 | PO |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your dog's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Increases cell membrane permeability to calcium in susceptible helminths, causing spastic paralysis, detachment, and disintegration.
May cause transient GI upset, drooling (especially in cats). Safe in pregnant animals. Effective primarily against cestodes (tapeworms) and trematodes (flukes).
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Praziquantel dose ranges in dogs, with cited source references: IM 5 mg/kg once; PO 5–10 mg/kg once; SC 5 mg/kg once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Praziquantel in dogs: IM, PO, SC.
Cited course lengths for Praziquantel in dogs include: Single dose; Single dose; repeat if reinfection. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Praziquantel is indicated in dogs for: Tapeworms when oral/SC not feasible, Tapeworms (Dipylidium, Taenia), Tapeworms.
These are general warnings for Praziquantel across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. May cause transient GI upset, drooling (especially in cats). Safe in pregnant animals. Effective primarily against cestodes (tapeworms) and trematodes (flukes).
Why a species-specific page? Praziquantel pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in dogs — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.
| Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 |
| • .5 kg: 34.5 mg/cat, PO, or 34.1 mg/cat, SQ or IM. |
| 23 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • 2.3 kg to 5 kg: 23 mg/cat PO. |
| 22.7 | SC | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • 2.3 kg to 4.5 kg: 22.7 mg/cat SQ or IM. |
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.354 | 5.0 mg/kg p.o.; 8 mg/kg spot-on |
| 8 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.354 | 5.0 mg/kg p.o.; 8 mg/kg spot-on |
| 23 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • Paragonimus in dogs (lung worms): 23 mg/kg PO q8h for 3 days. |
| 5 | IM | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • Dogs .5 kg: 5 mg/kg once IM or SQ. |
| 6.3 | IM | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • Dogs 2.7-4.5 kg: 6.3 mg/kg once IM or SQ. |
| 7.5 | IM | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • Dogs ,2.3 kg, 7.5 mg/kg once IM or SQ. |
| 5 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • Dogs .6.8 kg: 5 mg/kg once PO. |
| 7.5 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.692 | • Dogs ,6.8 kg: 7.5 mg/kg once PO. |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.