Doses - FERROUS SULFATE

Caution: Unless otherwise noted, doses are for ferrous sulfate (regular¯not dried).
Dosing of oral iron products can be confusing; some authors state doses in terms of the iron saltand some state doses in terms of elemental iron. For the doses below, assume that the doses are forferrous sulfate and not elemental iron, unless specified.

Dogs:

For iron deficiency anemia:
a) 100 - 300 mg PO once daily (Kirk 1986), (Morgan 1988)
Warning: in CVT X: Small Animal Practice (Kirk 1989): The dosage listed in the backof the book is for 100 - 300 mg/kg PO q24h, but it is believed that this dose iserroneous, as these doses would most probably be toxic and possibly fatal.
b) 60 - 300 mg PO per day for 2 weeks or more. (Adams 1988a)
c) First correct underlying cause of blood loss, then give ferrous sulfate at 100 - 300 mgper day PO. Absorption is enhanced if administered 1 hour before or several hours afterfeeding. Reduce dosage if GI side effects occur. (Harvey, French, and Meyer 1982)

Cats:

For iron deficiency anemia:
a) 50 - 100 mg PO once daily (Kirk 1986), (Morgan 1988)
b) 30 - 200 mg PO per day for 2 weeks or more. (Adams 1988a)

Cattle:

As a hematinic:
a) 8 - 15 g PO per day for 2 weeks or more. (Adams 1988a)

Horses:

As a hematinic:
a) 2 - 8 g PO per day for 2 weeks or more. (Adams 1988a)

Swine:

As a hematinic:
a) 0.5 - 2 g PO per day for 2 weeks or more. (Adams 1988a)

Sheep:

As a hematinic:
a) 0.5 - 2 g PO per day for 2 weeks or more. (Adams 1988a)
Monitoring Parameters -

1) Efficacy; adverse effects

a) hemograms

b) serum iron and total iron binding capacity, if necessary. Normal serum iron values for dogs and cats are reported as 80-180 micrograms/dl and 70-140 micrograms/dl, respectively. Total iron binding for dogs and cats are reported as 280-340 micrograms/dl and 270-400 micrograms/dl, respectively. (Morgan 1988)
Client Information - Because of the potential for serious toxicity when overdoses of oral ironcontaining products are ingested by either children or animals, these products should be kept well out of reach of children and pets.
Dosage Forms/Preparations/FDA Approval Status/Withholding Times - Veterinary-Approved Products: No veterinary-approved products containing only ferrous sulfate could be located, but there are many multivitamin with iron containing products available.

Human-Approved Products:

Ferrous Sulfate Tablets (20% elemental iron) 195 mg (39 mg iron), 300 mg (60 mg iron), 324 mg (65 mg iron); Mol-Iron®(Schering-Plough); Feratab® (Upsher-Smith); generic (OTC)
Ferrous Sulfate Caplets: 160 mg (50 mg iron); Fe50 ® (Northampton) (OTC)Ferrous Sulfate Capsules: 250 mg (50 mg iron);Ferospace® (Hudson); generic, (OTC)Ferrous Sulfate Tablets Timed-Release 525 mg (105 mg iron); Fero-Gradumet® Filmtabs®(Abbott) (OTC)
Ferrous Sulfate Syrup 18 mg/ml (3.6 mg iron/ml) in pints; Fer-In-Sol® (Mead Johnson
Nutritionals); (OTC)
Ferrous Sulfate Elixir 44 mg/ml (8.8 mg iron/ml) in pints and gallons 220 mg (44 mg iron) per 5 ml in pints and gallons
Feosol® (SKBeecham); (OTC); generic (OTC)
Ferrous Sulfate Drops 125 mg/ml (25 mg iron/ml) in 50 ml Fer-In-Sol® (Mead Johnson
Nutritionals), Fer-Iron® (various generics), (OTC)
Ferrous Sulfate, Dried (exissicated) Capsules 190 mg (60 mg iron); Fer-In-Sol® (Mead
Johnson Nutritionals); (OTC)
Ferrous Sulfate, Dried (exissicated) Capsules Timed-Release 159 mg (50 mg iron); 250 mgdried ferrous sulfate equivalent (50 mg iron); Feosol®(SK-Beecham); Ferralyn Lanacaps®(Lannett); Ferra-TD® (Goldline); generic (OTC)
Ferrous Sulfate, Dried (exissicated) Tablets 200 mg (65 mg iron); Feosol® (SK-Beecham);(OTC)
Ferrous Sulfate, Dried (exissicated) Tablets, Slow-Release 160 mg (50 mg iron); Slow FE®(Ciba Consumer); (OTC)