Ceftiofur (sodium / crystalline free acid / HCl)

What is this medication for?

• BRD, footrot, metritis (label); Excede single-dose depot
• Respiratory infections, susceptible gram-negatives; foal infections; intrauterine infusion (extra-label)
• Respiratory disease label dosing
• Susceptible infections (extra-label UTI/sepsis)

How is it given?

Give exactly as your veterinarian prescribed — never change the dose or stop on your own unless your veterinarian has told you to.

What if I miss a dose?

• Give it as soon as you remember — unless it is almost time for the next dose (then skip the missed one; never double up).
• Call your clinic if you miss more than one dose in a row.

Side effects — what should I watch for?

Effects listed as common in this handout

• Injection-site reactions (into a muscle/under the skin)

Worth a phone call to your veterinarian

• Granulocytopenia/low platelet counts (rare) (Label-possible)

⚠️ Contact your veterinarian or an emergency clinic IMMEDIATELY if you notice

• Hypersensitivity (rash→anaphylaxis; 1–15% penicillin cross-reactivity, human estimate) (Class)
• Acute diarrhea (potentially fatal under stress) (The equine class warning)

Before starting (or refilling), tell your veterinarian if your pet:

• has or has had: Cephalosporin hypersensitivity
• has or has had: Penicillin-allergic patients (cross-reactivity); FDA judicious-use pressure on cephalosporins in food animals — extra-label dairy use prohibited (class regulatory note)

• is pregnant, nursing, or used for breeding
• is taking any other medications, supplements, or flea/tick products, including:
  • Aminoglycosides
  • Bacteriostatics

Storage and handling

Reconstituted sodium: refrigerate, discard per label; CFA: shake well; ear-site technique (cattle).

Good to know

• One ear injection = a week of drug (Excede): the CFA depot changed cattle BRD logistics — and made injection-site placement (posterior ear) a regulatory requirement, not a suggestion.
• The equine stress-diarrhea warning rides every systemic antimicrobial decision in horses — ceftiofur included despite its mild-fecal-flora study.
• Metabolite identity: you measure desfuroylceftiofur, not parent — susceptibility reports say "ceftiofur" meaning the metabolite complex.
• Food-animal cephalosporin politics: FDA's judicious-use agenda makes extra-label dairy ceftiofur a legal landmine — label-only territory.