Levamisole
“This page provides important general information for pet owners whose animals have been prescribed Levamisole during a consultation by Dr Noor. Levamisole for pets in Perth.”
(leh-vam-i-sole)
Description:
Medicine used to treat parasites.
Other Names for this Medication:
- Levasole®
- Tramisol®
- Ripercol®
Common Dosage Forms:
- Veterinary: Levamisole comes in different products that are labeled for use in cattle (but not dairy cattle), sheep, and pigs. For small pets (such as dogs, cats, small mammals) or for birds, these products would need to be specially prepared (compounded) into a form and dose that fits those animals.
- Human: None.
Key Information
- If this medicine is given by mouth, offering it with food may reduce vomiting in dogs.
- Do not give injectable forms into a vein (IV).
- In small animals, the side effects seen most often are:
- vomiting
- enlarged pupils (in cats)
- loose stool (diarrhea)
- drooling
- low energy
- More severe problems are also possible. These can include harm to the bone marrow (the tissue inside bones that makes blood cells), skin reactions like rashes, shaking, restlessness, and changes in behavior. If anything worries you, contact your veterinarian right away.
- Use exactly the directions your veterinarian gives. If too much is given, poisoning can happen.
- Do not let liquid forms touch your skin, because the medicine can pass through skin.
How is this medication useful? Levamisole for pets
Levamisole may be used to treat certain parasite infections in the intestines of dogs, cats, birds, and small mammals. Because it can cause several side effects, it is usually saved for cases where other medicines have not worked. Levamisole has also been used to help stimulate the immune system (the body’s defenses) in dogs, cats, and birds.
What should I tell my veterinarian to see if this medication can be safely given?
Many factors can change how well this medicine works for your animal. Make sure you and your veterinarian talk about the following so you can choose the best treatment plan together.
- Other medicines can affect this medicine. Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about everything your animal receives, including vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. Include how much you give and when you give each one.
- Tell your veterinarian about any health problems your animal has now, or has had before.
- If your animal has been treated before for the same problem, tell your veterinarian what was used and whether it helped or did not help.
- If your animal is pregnant or nursing, discuss the possible risks of using this medicine.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about any past side effects your animal has had from medicines. This includes allergic reactions, not wanting to eat, diarrhea, itching, and hair loss.
How long until I will know if this medication is working, and how long will the effects of this medication last?
This medicine should begin to work within 1 to 2 days. Even so, you usually will not be able to see the effects just by looking at your animal. Your veterinarian will need to do additional tests to check whether the medicine is working as it should.
This medicine does not last long in the body. Its action ends within about 24 hours. However, the helpful effects may last longer if your animal’s kidneys and/or liver are not working well.
When should this medication not be used or be used very carefully?
No medicine is completely safe for every patient. Your veterinarian will talk with you about any concerns that apply to your animal.
If your animal has any of the conditions listed below, talk with your veterinarian about weighing the risks and benefits.
- Animals that have an allergy to this medicine.
- Animals that are producing milk or nursing.
- Animals under stress due to illness, surgery, travel, or vaccinations.
- Animals that are very weak or frail.
- Animals with serious kidney or liver disease.
- Cats with retroviral infections (for example, Feline Leukemia Virus [FeLV] or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus [FIV]).
- In birds, giving this medicine by injection can be more poisonous than giving it by mouth.
What are the side effects of this medication?
If you notice the effects listed below, you usually do not need to panic unless they are severe, get worse, or do not go away. If that happens, contact your veterinarian.
If you notice any of the signs below, contact your veterinarian immediately.
- Dogs: vomiting, diarrhea, heavy drooling, fast breathing with open mouth (panting), shaking, agitation (such as acting nervous, upset, or unable to settle), other behavior changes, and low energy.
- Cats: heavy drooling, acting overly excited, pupils that look very large, and vomiting.
- Birds: vomiting, bringing food or fluid back up (regurgitation).
- Dogs: very severe tiredness, bleeding, or bruising may be a sign of bone marrow suppression (rare).
- Dogs: difficulty breathing (rare).
- Dogs: skin peeling off, sores, oozing areas, or a rash (rare).
- Birds: trouble walking or flying, stumbling, or being unable to keep balance.
If my animal gets too much of this medication (an overdose), what should I do?
Taking too much levamisole can be dangerous. If you see an overdose happen or think it may have happened, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control service right away for instructions.
How should this medication be given?
For this medicine to work properly, give it exactly the way your veterinarian prescribed it. Always read the prescription label so you confirm you are giving it correctly.
- Levamisole can be given with food or without food. If your animal vomits or seems unwell after getting it on an empty stomach, try giving the next dose with food. If vomiting continues, contact your veterinarian.
- If you are using a liquid form, measure it with great care. Your veterinarian or pharmacist can provide special measuring spoons or dosing syringes.
- If you are having trouble giving the medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist for advice on how to give the dose and make medication time less stressful.
- This medicine may be prescribed for different lengths of time. Make sure you understand how long your veterinarian wants your animal to keep taking it. You may need prescription refills before the full treatment is finished. Do not stop this medicine without speaking with your veterinarian, because there may be important reasons to keep going.
What should I do if I miss giving a dose of this medication?
If you forget a dose, give it as soon as you remember. Then wait the usual amount of time between doses that your veterinarian recommended before giving the next one. Do not give two doses at once and do not give extra doses.
How should I store this medication?
- Keep this medicine in its original prescription container, or in an approved dose organizer (such as a pill minder). Store it at room temperature and keep it away from light.
- If your veterinarian or pharmacist has specially prepared (compounded) a version for your animal, follow the storage directions and the expiration date provided for that product.
- Store it where children and other animals cannot reach it.
Can handling this medication be hazardous to me, my family, or other animals?
- Use gloves that liquids cannot soak through, and do not allow liquid levamisole to touch your skin, because it can be absorbed through skin.
- If powder or liquid containing this medicine gets on skin or in eyes, wash the skin or rinse the eyes right away and thoroughly.
- After handling tablets or capsules, wash your hands.
How should I dispose of this medication if I don’t use it all?
- Do not put this medicine into the toilet and do not pour it into a sink.
- If your area has a community medicine “take-back” program, use that option.
- If there is no take-back program, combine the medicine with used coffee grounds or cat litter so it is unpleasant to children and animals and not recognizable to someone searching through trash. Put that mixture into a sealable plastic bag so it cannot leak, and place it in the regular trash.
- Do not keep leftover medicine to use later, and do not give it to anyone else.
What other information is important for this medication?
- Some animal competitions may not allow use of this medicine. Before entering a competition while your animal is receiving this medicine, check the rules.
- If you have more questions about this medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist.
“Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided as general educational material only. Every animal’s health situation is unique, and treatment decisions must be based on a full veterinary assessment. Always follow the specific instructions given during your consultation, and contact the prescribing veterinarian if you have any concerns.”