Nystagmus after Selamectin (Revolution) in cats

The FDA has received 86 reports of nystagmus in cats after Selamectin. That is 0.4% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.5% across reports for all cat medicines.

86Reports

20%Marked serious

13%Recovered

17%Died or euthanised

1 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

12 34%

1–2 days

15 43%

3–7 days

4 11%

1–4 weeks

3 8.6%

Over a month

1 2.9%

How the animals did

Recovered

10 12%

Recovered with lasting effects

1 1.2%

Still unwell when reported

21 24%

Died

13 15%

Euthanised

2 2.3%

Not known

39 45%

Problems reported at the same time

Wobbliness (ataxia)

48 56%

Lethargy

26 30%

Loss of appetite

26 30%

Head tilt - ear disorder

24 28%

17 20%

14 16%

11 13%

11 13%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Selamectin prevents heartworm and treats fleas, ear mites and some worms (spot-on).

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

Some herding breeds (for example Collies) carry the MDR1 gene variant and can be more sensitive to this drug class at high doses.

Questions owners ask

Can Selamectin cause nystagmus in cats?: 86 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 1 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).

All reported side effects of Selamectin in cats · Medicines most reported with nystagmus