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POM-V Prescription Required

Excenel 50 mg/ml Sterile Powder for Solution for Injection

Active ingredient: Ceftiofur

Form

Injection

Species

Cattle Horses Pigs

Manufacturer

Zoetis Belgium S.A.

VMD MA No.

60021/3016

What it's used for

For the treatment of cattle with acute interdigital necrobacillosis (foul in the foot) in which and Bacteroides melaninogenicus are involved. The treatment...

Full indications, dosage and side effects ↓
View official SPC (PDF)

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Paying less for Ceftiofur

  1. 1

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    They must provide one on request. Under the CMA Order the fee is capped at £21 from 2027.

  2. 2

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    The CMA found online pharmacies 50–60% cheaper than practice dispensing on common medicines — typically £200–£300 a year.

Prescription required

Your vet must provide a written prescription on request. You can then purchase from any licensed online retailer.

Clinical information

Excenel 50 mg/ml Sterile Powder for Solution for Injection — SPC Details

Source: VMD Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Last updated 27 Mar 2026.

For the treatment of cattle with acute interdigital necrobacillosis (foul in the foot) in
which and Bacteroides melaninogenicus are involved.
The treatment of pigs with bacterial respiratory disease in which Actinobacillus
(Haemophilus) pleuropneumonia, Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus suis are
involved.
For the treatment of horses with bacterial respiratory disease associated with
Streptococcus spp. (including ), Staphylococcus spp.
and/or Pasteurella spp.
Reconstitution:
Dissolve the 1 g sterile powder in 20 ml of water for injections.
Dissolve the 4 g sterile powder in 80 ml of water for injections.
Rapid addition of diluent will give best results.
The resulting solution contains 50 mg ceftiofur free acid equivalents per ml. For ease of
reconstitution use an 18-gauge needle.
Dosage
Cattle:
1 mg/kg bodyweight. This is equivalent to 1 ml of the reconstituted solution per 50 kg
bodyweight.
For respiratory disease, the dose should be given once daily at 24-hour intervals for 3 to
5 days in total.
For interdigital necrobacillosis (foul in the foot), the dose should be given once daily at
24-hour intervals for 3 days. As with all antibiotic therapy, treatment of this condition
with the veterinary medicinal product should be instituted as early as possible in order to
provide maximum clinical benefit.
Pigs:
3 mg/kg bodyweight: This is equivalent to 1 ml of the reconstituted solution per 16 kg
bodyweight. The dose should be given once daily at 24-hour intervals for 3 days.
If no response is seen within these periods, the diagnosis should be redetermined.
Horses:
2 mg/kg bodyweight: This is equivalent to 2 ml of the solution per 50 kg bodyweight.
The dose should be given once daily at 24-hour intervals and continued for 48 hours
after clinical signs have disappeared. A 10-day treatment period is usually adequate. A
maximum of 10 ml solution should be administered per injection site.
If no response is seen within 4-5 days, the diagnosis should be re-determined.
Do not use in cases of hypersensitivity to the active substance.
Do not use in poultry (including eggs) due to the risk of spread of antimicrobial
resistance to humans.
Cattle, pigs, and horses:
Very common
(>1 animal / 10 animals treated):
Injection site pain
1
Temporary; this reaction was associated with a transient increase in muscle enzymes.
Reporting adverse events is important. It allows continuous safety monitoring of a
veterinary medicinal product. Reports should be sent, preferably via a veterinarian, to
either the marketing authorisation holder or the national competent authority via the
national reporting system. See the package leaflet for respective contact details.
Use of the veterinary medicinal product may constitute a risk to public health due to the
spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Special precautions for safe use in the target species:
The administration of antimicrobials to horses under conditions of stress may be
associated with acute diarrhoea, which could be fatal. If acute diarrhoea is observed,
discontinue use of this antimicrobial and initiate appropriate therapy.
Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal
product to animals:
Care should be taken to avoid accidental self-injection. In case of accidental self-
injection, seek medical advice immediately and show the package leaflet or the label to
the physician.
Penicillins and cephalosporins may cause hypersensitivity (allergy) following injection,
inhalation, ingestion or skin contact. Hypersensitivity to penicillins may lead to cross
sensitivity to cephalosporins and vice versa. Allergic reactions to these substances may
occasionally be serious.
Do not handle this product if you know you are sensitised, or if you have been advised
not to work with such preparations. Handle this product with great care to avoid
exposure taking all recommended precautions.
If you develop symptoms following exposure, such as a skin rash, you should seek
medical advice and show the doctor this warning. Swelling of the face, lips and eyes or
difficulty in breathing are more serious symptoms and require urgent medical attention.
Wash hands after use.
Special precautions for the protection of the environment:
Not applicable.
None known.
Store in a refrigerator (2 °C - 8 °C).
Keep the vial in the outer carton in order to protect from light.
Meat and offal:
Cattle: 1 day.
Pigs: 2 days.
Milk:
Cattle: Zero hours.
Not authorised for use in horses intended for human consumption.
Treated horses may never be slaughtered for human consumption.
The horse must have been declared as not intended for human consumption under
national horse passport legislation.

This information is sourced from the official Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) published by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). It is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Always consult your vet before administering any medication.

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