Drooling after Imidacloprid + Moxidectin (Advantage Multi) in cats

The FDA has received 1,488 reports of drooling in cats after Imidacloprid + Moxidectin. That is 18% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 5.6% across reports for all cat medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

1,488Reports

46%Marked serious

37%Recovered

2.3%Died or euthanised

Same dayTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

798 89%

1–2 days

57 6.3%

3–7 days

4 0.4%

1–4 weeks

32 3.6%

Over a month

10 1.1%

How the animals did

Recovered

552 37%

Still unwell when reported

22 1.5%

Died

26 1.7%

Euthanised

8 0.5%

Not known

880 59%

Problems reported at the same time

Restlessness or agitation

236 16%

Lethargy

201 14%

Vomiting

170 11%

Behaviour change

164 11%

Application site reaction

118 7.9%

Loss of appetite

113 7.6%

Accidental exposure

109 7.3%

Tremors

81 5.4%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

355

1–3 years

541

4–7 years

261

8–11 years

145

12+ years

About this medicine

Imidacloprid kills fleas (spot-on or collar). Moxidectin prevents heartworm disease (monthly topical, or a 6- or 12-month injection for dogs).

Products with this combination include Advantage Multi. The FDA hides brand names in its public data, so these reports cover every product with the same active ingredients.

Questions owners ask

Can Imidacloprid + Moxidectin cause drooling in cats?: 1,488 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within the same day of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Drooling with similar medicines

Drooling after Spinosad (Comfortis) 157 reports · 1.4% of its reports
Drooling after Nitenpyram (Capstar) 303 reports · 3.5% of its reports
Drooling after Lufenuron 23 reports · 2.1% of its reports
Drooling after Flumethrin + Imidacloprid (Seresto) 23 reports · 3.4% of its reports
Drooling after Imidacloprid + Pyriproxyfen 40 reports · 6.1% of its reports

All reported side effects of Imidacloprid + Moxidectin in cats · Medicines most reported with drooling