POM-V Prescription Required

Pergocoat 0.25 mg Film-Coated Tablets for Horses

Active ingredient: Pergolide Mesylate

Form

Tablet

Species

Horses

Manufacturer

Alfasan Nederland B.V.

VMD MA No.

36408/3060

View official SPC (PDF)

The prescription itself has a price. See what practices near you charge for a consultation and the written prescription fee.

Paying less for Pergolide Mesylate

1

Ask your vet for a written prescription

They must provide one on request. Under the CMA Order the fee is capped at £21 from 2027.
2

Fill it at a registered online retailer

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

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Prescription required

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Clinical information

Pergocoat 0.25 mg Film-Coated Tablets for Horses — SPC Details

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

To facilitate administration, the required daily dose should be placed in a small
amount of water and/or mixed with molasses or other sweetener and agitated until
dissolved. In this case, the dissolved tablets should be administered with a syringe.
The whole amount should be administered immediately. Tablets should not be
crushed, see section 3.5.
Starting dose
The starting dose is about 2 µg pergolide/kg (dose range: 1.3 to 2.5 µg/kg; see table
below). The maintenance dose should then be titrated according to the individual
response as determined by monitoring (see below), resulting in an average
maintenance dose of 2 µg pergolide/kg bodyweight with a dose range of 0.6 to 10 µg
pergolide/kg bodyweight.
Starting doses are recommended as follows:
Horse body
weight
0.25 mg
tablet
0.5 mg
tablet
1 mg
tablet
2 mg
tablet
Starting
dose
Dosage
range
100 – 200
kg
0.25 mg
1.3 -
2.5
µg/kg
201 - 300
kg
0.50 mg
1.7 –
2.5
µg/kg
301 - 400
kg
+0.75 mg
1.9 – 2.5
μg/kg
or301 - 400
kg
0.75 mg
1.9 – 2.5
μg/kg
401 - 600
kg
1.0 mg
1.7 – 2.5
µg/kg
or
401 - 600
kg
1.0 mg
1.7 – 2.5
µg/kg
601 - 850
kg
+1.5 mg
1.8 – 2.5
µg/kg
or
601 - 850
kg
1.5 mg
1.8 – 2.5
µg/kg
851 - 1000
kg
2.0 mg
2.0 – 2.4
µg/kg
or
851 - 1000
kg
2.0 mg
2.0 – 2.4
µg/kg
Maintenance dose
Lifelong treatment is anticipated for this disease.
Most horses respond to therapy and are stabilised at an average dose of 2 µg
pergolide/kg body weight. Clinical improvement with pergolide is expected within 6 to
12 weeks. Horses may respond clinically at lower or varying doses; it is therefore
recommended to titrate to the lowest effective dose per individual based on response
to therapy, whether it is effectiveness or signs of intolerance. Some horses may
require doses as high as 10 µg pergolide/kg body weight per day. In these rare
situations, appropriate additional monitoring is advised.
Following initial diagnosis, repeat endocrinologic testing for dose titration and
monitoring of treatment at intervals of 4 to 6 weeks until stabilisation or improvement
of clinical signs and/or diagnostic testing occurs.
If clinical signs or diagnostic testing have not yet improved at the first 4 to 6 week
interval, the total daily dose may be increased by 0.25 - 0.50 mg. In case clinical
signs have improved but are not yet normalised, the veterinarian may decide to titrate
or not to titrate the dose, considering the individual’s response/tolerance to the dose.
In case clinical signs are not adequately controlled (clinical evaluation and/or
diagnostic testing) it is recommended to increase the total daily dose by 0.25 -
0.5 mg increments (if the drug is tolerated at that dose) every 4 to 6 weeks until
stabilisation occurs. If signs of dose intolerance develop, treatment should be
stopped for 2 to 3 days and reinstated at one-half of the previous dose. The total
daily dose may then be titrated back up to the desired clinical effect by 0.25 - 0.5 mg
increments every 2 to 4 weeks. If a dose is missed, the next scheduled dose should
be administered as prescribed.
Following stabilisation, regular clinical assessment and diagnostic testing should be
performed every 6 months to monitor treatment and dose. Where there is no
apparent response to treatment, the diagnosis should be re-evaluated.

Do not use in horses with known hypersensitivity to pergolide mesilate or other ergot
derivatives or to any of the excipients.
Do not use in horses less than 2 years of age.

Horses:
Rare
(1 to 10 animals / 10,000
animals treated):
Inappetence, anorexia
, lethargy
.
Central nervous system signs
(e.g. depression
,
ataxia
).
Diarrhoea, colic.
Very rare
(<1 animal / 10,000 animals
treated, including isolated
reports):
Sudation.
transient
mild
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 its local representative or the national
competent authority via the national reporting system. See the package leaflet for
respective contact details.

Appropriate endocrinologic laboratory tests should be conducted as well as
evaluation of clinical signs in order to establish a diagnosis of PPID.

Special precautions for safe use in the target species:
As the majority of cases of PPID are diagnosed in aged horses, other pathological
processes are frequently present. For monitoring and frequency of testing, see
section 3.9.
Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal
product to animals:
Pergolide, like other ergot derivatives, may cause emesis, dizziness, lethargy or low
blood pressure. Severe adverse events such as collapse have been observed.
Ingestion may be harmful and associated with severe adverse events, especially in
children or people with pre-existing heart conditions. Take utmost care to avoid
accidental ingestion of the veterinary medicinal product.
In order to reduce the risk of accidental ingestion:
-Avoid hand-to-mouth contact. Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- Store and handle this veterinary medicinal product separately away from human
medicinal products and handle this product with great care. Replace the blister into
the carton and keep it carefully away from children.
- Tablets prepared for administration should be administered immediately and not left
unattended.
In case of accidental ingestion, seek medical advice immediately and show the
package leaflet or the label to the physician. Avoid driving or operating machinery
following ingestion of this veterinary medicinal product.
This veterinary medicinal product may cause eye irritation. Avoid contact with the
eyes including hand-to-eye contact when handling the tablets. Minimize exposure
risks when dissolving the tablets, e.g. tablets should not be crushed. In case of
contact of the dissolved product with skin, wash exposed skin with water. In the event
of eye exposure, flush the affected eye immediately with water and seek medical
advice.
Wash hands after use.
This veterinary medicinal product may cause hypersensitivity (allergy) reactions.
People with known hypersensitivity to pergolide or other ergot derivatives should
avoid contact with the veterinary medicinal product.
This veterinary medicinal product may cause adverse effects due to decreased
prolactin levels, which poses a particular risk to pregnant and lactating women.
Pregnant or lactating women should avoid dermal contact or hand-to-mouth contact
and wear gloves when administering the product.
Special precautions for the protection of the environment:
Not applicable.

Use with caution in case the veterinary medicinal product is co-administered with
other drugs known to affect protein binding.
Do not administer concurrently with dopamine antagonists, such as neuroleptics
(phenothiazines - e.g. acepromazine), domperidone, or metoclopramide, as these
agents may reduce the effectiveness of pergolide.

Do not store above 30 °C.
Store in the original package, in order to protect from light.

weight per day.
Lactation:
The use is not recommended during lactation. In mice, reduced body weights and
survival rates in the progeny were attributed to the

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.