A comparison of i.v., i.m. and s.c. administration erythromycin base in polyethylene glycol at 15 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg body weight was carried out in beef-type calves of approximately 200 kg body weight. Additional evaluations were carried out with oral administration of erythromycin phosphate and erythromycin stearate. Absorption of erythromycin was very slow by both the i.m. and s.c. routes of administration with a Kab of 0.0135 min-1 and 0.0185 min-1 for i.m. and 0.0032 min-1 and 0.0074 min-1 for s.c. at 15 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg, respectively. The bioavailability (32-42%) and peak serum concentrations were much lower with s.c. than with i.m. (60-65%) administration. The disposition of erythromycin administered i.v. appeared to be representative of dose-dependent kinetics rather than dose-independent first-order kinetics inasmuch as the elimination half-time (t1/2B) increased from 174.5 +/- 13 min for the 15 mg/kg dosage to 239 +/- 10.8 min with 30 mg/kg dosage. An acute apparent cardiovascular effect accompanied i.v. administration of erythromycin at 30 mg/kg dosage but not at 15 mg/kg. Severe diarrhea followed oral administration of either erythromycin phosphate or erythromycin stearate.