Tildipirosin for Cow: Uses, Dosing & Side Effects

This information is for educational purposes only. Never give your pet any medication without your veterinarian's guidance. Dosing, frequency, and safety depend on your pet's specific health profile.

Tildipirosin is a prescription macrolide antibiotic used in cattle, most commonly under the brand name Zuprevo 18%. Your vet may choose it when there is concern for bovine respiratory disease (BRD), a common and potentially serious illness in beef cattle and in younger non-lactating dairy cattle.

This medication is designed to concentrate well in respiratory tissues, which is why it is used for lung-related bacterial infections rather than for every type of infection. It is labeled for cattle and is given as a single subcutaneous injection under the skin, not by mouth.

Because this is a food-animal medication, treatment decisions involve more than symptom control. Your vet also has to consider withdrawal times, age and production class, and antimicrobial stewardship. Tildipirosin is not for use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older, and it should not be used in calves being processed for veal.

Tildipirosin is used for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease associated with key bacterial pathogens, including Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, and Histophilus somni. These bacteria are major causes of shipping fever and other BRD syndromes in cattle.

Your vet may also use tildipirosin for control of respiratory disease in groups of cattle at high risk of developing BRD. In practical terms, that can include recently transported cattle, newly commingled groups, or animals under stress where early disease spread is a concern.

It is not a medication pet parents or producers should choose on their own. The right antibiotic depends on the herd history, local resistance patterns, severity of illness, and whether supportive care or a different treatment plan makes more sense. Your vet may also recommend monitoring the response within 2 to 3 days and changing the plan if breathing signs persist or worsen.

Tildipirosin dosing in cattle is typically 4 mg/kg (about 1 mL per 45 kg body weight) given once by subcutaneous injection. This is a one-time dose on the label, not a daily medication. Accurate body weight matters because underdosing can reduce effectiveness and overdosing can increase tissue reactions and stewardship concerns.

For larger cattle, the dose may need to be split across injection sites. Label guidance states that for cattle over 450 kg, no more than 10 mL should be injected at one site. Your vet or herd veterinarian will decide the best injection location and handling plan.

This drug should be given early in the course of disease when possible, then reassessed. If the animal is not improving within 48 to 72 hours, your vet may recommend a different antibiotic, additional diagnostics, anti-inflammatory support, fluids, or changes in housing and monitoring.

Because cattle are food-producing animals, dosing also includes legal withdrawal planning. Product information available in the US notes a 21-day slaughter withdrawal, while other regional labels may differ. Always follow the exact label and veterinary instructions that apply where the animal is being treated.

The most common side effects are pain at the time of injection, swelling at the injection site, and local inflammation under the skin. These reactions are common with this medication and may be noticeable for days to weeks. In some animals, tissue changes can persist beyond the withdrawal period and may lead to trim loss at slaughter.

Most cattle tolerate the drug reasonably well when it is used correctly, but your vet should know if you notice marked swelling, worsening depression, poor appetite, fever that does not improve, or breathing that becomes more labored after treatment. Those signs may reflect treatment failure, progression of BRD, or a separate problem rather than a medication reaction alone.

A very rare but serious reaction is anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. See your vet immediately if a treated cow develops sudden collapse, severe breathing difficulty, facial swelling, or rapid deterioration after injection.

There are also important human safety concerns. Accidental self-injection can be dangerous because tildipirosin has been associated with cardiovascular effects in toxicology studies. Anyone handling the drug should use careful restraint and safe injection technique.

Tildipirosin should not be given at the same time as other macrolide antibiotics or lincosamides unless your vet specifically directs it. These drugs can have overlapping mechanisms, and combining them may increase the risk of reduced effectiveness or unnecessary antimicrobial exposure.

There is also concern for cross-resistance among macrolides. That means if bacteria on your farm have reduced susceptibility to one macrolide, another drug in the same family may not work as well. This is one reason your vet may base treatment choices on herd history, culture results, or regional susceptibility data when available.

The product should not be mixed in the same syringe with other veterinary drugs unless compatibility has been established. If your cow is receiving anti-inflammatories, fluids, vaccines, or other injectable medications around the same time, ask your vet how to space treatments and which products can be used safely together.