Doses - CHLORAMPHENICOL, CHLORAMPHENICOL PALMITATE, CHLORAMPHENICOL SODIUM SUCCINATE

Dogs:

For susceptible infections:
a) 45 - 60 mg/kg PO q8h; 45 - 60 mg/kg IM, SQ or IV q6-8h (USPC 1990)
b) 40 - 50 mg/kg IV, IM, SubQ or PO q8h; avoid in young animals or in breeding or pregnant animals; avoid or reduce dosage in animals with severe liver failure. (Vaden and Papich 1995)
c) 35.75 - 55 mg/kg PO q8h; 16.5 - 22 mg/kg IM, or SQ q8h (Aronson and Aucoin 1989)
d) For bacterial or Rickettsial infections: 25 - 50 mg/kg PO tid (Morgan 1988)
e) 50 mg/kg PO, IV, IM, SQ q8h (Kirk 1989)
f) For Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: 15 - 20 mg/kg q8h PO, IM or IV for 14-21 days (Sellon and Breitschwerdt 1995)

Cats:

For susceptible infections:
a) 25 - 50 mg/kg PO q12h; 12 - 30 mg/kg IM, SQ or IV q12h (USPC 1990)
b) 50 mg (total dose) IV, IM, SubQ or PO q8h; avoid in young animals or in breeding orpregnant animals; avoid or reduce dosage in animals with severe liver failure. (Vadenand Papich 1995)
c) For bacterial or Rickettsial infections: 25 mg/kg PO bid (Morgan 1988)
d) 50 mg/kg PO, IV, IM, SQ q12h (Kirk 1989)
Pocket Pets/Rodents:
For empiric antibiotic therapy:
a) Palmitate: 50 mg/kg PO q8h; Succinate: 30 mg/kg IV or IM q8h (Oglesbee 1995)
Ferrets:
For proliferative colitis: 10 - 40 mg/kg q8h PO for 2 weeks or 50 mg/kg PO q12h for 10 days.(Fox 1995a)

Horses:

For susceptible infections:
a) 10 - 50 mg/kg PO qid. If using palmitate salt, give 20 - 50 mg/kg PO qid. For sodium succinate: 20 - 50 mg/kg IM or IV qid. (Robinson 1987)
b) Chloramphenicol sodium succinate: 25 mg/kg IM q8h (Baggot and Prescott 1987)
c) Foals: Chloramphenicol sodium succinate: 50 mg/kg IV q6-8h (use longer dosage interval in premature foals and those less than 2 days old). (Caprile and Short 1987)
d) 45 - 60 mg/kg PO q8h; 45 - 60 mg/kg IM, SQ or IV q6-8h (USPC 1990)

Birds:

For susceptible infections:
a) Chloramphenicol sodium succinate: 80 mg/kg IM bid - tid, 50 mg/kg IV tid - qid.
Chloramphenicol palmitate suspension (30 mg/ml): 0.1 ml/30 grams of body weight tid- qid. Do not use for initial therapy in life-threatening infections. Must use parenteralform if crop stasis occurs. (Clubb 1986)
b) Chloramphenicol palmitate suspension (30 mg/ml): 75 mg/kg tid; absorption is erratic, but well-tolerated and efficacious in baby birds with enteric infections being hand fed.
Will settle out if added to drinking water. (McDonald 1989)
c) Succinate: 50 mg/kg IM or IV q8h; Palmitate: 75 mg/kg PO q8h (Hoeffer 1995)

Reptiles:

For susceptible infections:
a) For most species using the sodium succinate salt: 20 - 50 mg/kg IM or SubQ for up to3 weeks. Chloramphenicol is often a good initial choice until sensitivity results areavailable. (Gauvin 1993)
Monitoring Parameters -

1) Clinical efficacy

2) Adverse effects; chronic therapy should be associated with routine CBC monitoring
Client Information - Must not be used in any animal to be used for food production. There isevidence that humans exposed to chloramphenicol have an increased risk of developing a fatalaplastic anemia. Products should be handled with care. Do not inhale powder and wash hands afterhandling tablets. Crushed tablets or capsule contents are very bitter tasting and animals may notaccept the drug if presented in this manner.
Dosage Forms/Preparations/FDA Approval Status - Veterinary-Approved Products:
Note: The oral suspension (palmitate salt) has reportedly been discontinued and the availability ofany veterinary-labeled oral dosage form has been sporadic at best.
Chloramphenicol Oral Tablets 100 mg, 250 mg, 500 mg, 1 gram; Approved for use in dogsonly.
Veterinary-labeled chloramphenicol capsules may also be commercially available.

Human-Approved Products:

Chloramphenicol Capsules 250 mg; Chloromycetin Kapseals® (Parke-Davis), generic; (Rx)
Chloramphenicol Sodium Succinate Powder for Injection 100 mg/ml (as sodium succinate)when reconstituted 1 g vials; Chloromycetin® Sodium Succinate (Parke-Davis), generic; (Rx)
Topical, otic and opthalmic preparations are avalso available.