Selected Drugs Used in Llamas and Alpacas

Drug

Dosage

Comment

Antimicrobials

Amikacin

12 mg/kg, IV, every 24 h

Ampicillin sodium

12–15 mg/kg, IM or IV, every 6 h

Ceftiofur crystalline-free acid

6.6 mg/kg, SC, repeated in 4 days

Ceftiofur sodium

2.2 mg/kg, IM or IV, every 12 h

Enrofloxacin

5–10 mg/kg, IV, every 24 h

Gentamicin

4.4–6.6 mg/kg, IV, every 24 h

Metronidazole

50 mg/kg, PO, every 12 h (adults only)

Procaine penicillin G aqueous

22,000 U/kg, SC, every 12 h; or 44,000 U/kg, SC, every 24 h

Tetracycline (long-acting formulation)

18–20 mg/kg, SC, every 48–72 h

Tobramycin

4 mg/kg, IV, every 24 h

Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole

Trimethoprim at 3 mg/kg + sulfamethoxazole at 15 mg/kg, IV, every 12 h; do not administer orally

NSAIDs

Flunixin meglumine

1.1–2.2 mg/kg, IV, every 24 h

Meloxicam

1 mg/kg, PO, every 48–72 h

Reproductive

Cloprostenol

100–250 mcg, IM, repeated in 24 h

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)

5,000 U, IV, once

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)

1 mcg/kg, IM, once

Anthelmintics

Albendazole

5–10 mg/kg, PO, repeated in 14 days

Clorsulon

7–14 mg/kg, PO, repeated in 45–60 days

Fenbendazole

For Trichuris: 5–10 mg/kg, PO, every 24 h for 3–5 days; or 15–20 mg/kg, PO, every 24 h for 3 days

For Parelaphostrongylus tenuis: 30–50 mg/kg, PO, every 24 h for 5 days

Ivermectin

0.2–0.4 mg/kg, SC or IM, repeated in 10 days

Pyrantel pamoate

18 mg/kg, PO, repeated in 7–10 days

Antiprotozoal

Ponazuril

20 mg/kg, PO, every 24 h for 3 days, ideally followed by sulfadimethoxine at 55 mg/kg, SC, on day 1, then 27.5 mg/kg, SC, on days 2 and 3

For treatment of Eimeria macusaniensis

Gastrointestinal

Omeprazole

0.4 mg/kg, IV, every 12 h, continued 7–10 days after clinical improvement

Pantoprazole

1–2 mg/kg, IV, or 2 mg/kg, SC—every 24 h, continued 7–10 days after clinical improvement

Mange, local therapy

Mixture of:

Shake before use and apply mixture to local lesions with a paintbrush every 5 days for 5 treatments

Mineral oil

330 mL

DMSO (10%)

100 mL

Ivermectin (injectable formulation)

8 mL

Gentamicin

2.5 g

Dosage information from Jensen J. Camelid Drug Formulary. Game Ranch Health; 2006; Cebra C, Tibary A, Johnson LW, Anderson D, Van Saun RJ, eds. Llama and Alpaca Care. Elsevier; 2014.