Antibiotics · Prescription (Rx)
Draxxin withdrawal time for cattle
tulathromycin — Generics: Increxxa, Tulieve, Macrosyn. Used for bovine respiratory disease (BRD), foot rot, and pinkeye — single-dose treatment and BRD control on arrival.
Slaughter withdrawal
18 days
| Route / formulation | Slaughter withdrawal | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Subcutaneous injection (single dose, 1.1 mL/100 lb) | 18 days |
Milk & dairy: Not approved for female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older; a withdrawal period has not been established for pre-ruminating (veal) calves.
Draxxin is a long-acting macrolide antibiotic given as a single subcutaneous shot. Its main use is treating and controlling bovine respiratory disease, and it also carries label claims for foot rot and pinkeye. Because one dose keeps working for days, it became the default arrival treatment in a lot of receiving programs.
The label slaughter withdrawal is 18 days from the injection. The long-acting behavior that makes it convenient is exactly why the withdrawal matters: the drug persists in tissue well after the calf looks recovered.
What the label requires
- Slaughter withdrawal: 18 days from the last (usually only) dose.
- Prescription only — all medically important cattle antibiotics have required a vet prescription or VFD since June 2023.
- Single-dose product: one injection is the full course, so the withdrawal clock starts the day you treat.
- Generic tulathromycin products carry the same 18-day withdrawal, but confirm on the bottle you actually used.
Always follow the label on your bottle and your veterinarian's directions. Extra-label use — any different dose, route, or frequency — voids the withdrawal above; your vet sets the interval instead, usually via FARAD. When in doubt, hold longer. Label data checked July 18, 2026.
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Log a treatment in HerdCommand with its withdrawal days and the animal carries a hold flag until the date clears — and the sale workflow warns you before a flagged animal ends up on a load. Works from the phone in your pocket, at the chute.
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Common questions
How long after Draxxin can cattle be slaughtered?
The U.S. label requires 18 days between the last Draxxin (tulathromycin) injection and slaughter. Day zero is the day of injection, so an animal treated on the 1st clears on the 19th.
Can I sell a calf at the sale barn during the Draxxin withdrawal?
Selling an animal that could go straight to slaughter inside the withdrawal window risks a violative residue traced back to your operation. If the animal must move, disclose the treatment date and withdrawal status to the buyer — better practice is simply to hold it until day 18 has passed.