Fever after Doxycycline in dogs

The FDA has received 237 reports of fever in dogs after Doxycycline. That is 5.9% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 1.4% across reports for all dog medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

237Reports

78%Marked serious

13%Recovered

34%Died or euthanised

15 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

23 13%

1–2 days

18 10%

3–7 days

29 16%

1–4 weeks

41 23%

Over a month

68 38%

How the animals did

Recovered

28 12%

Recovered with lasting effects

2 0.8%

Still unwell when reported

100 42%

Died

33 14%

Euthanised

47 20%

Not known

27 11%

Problems reported at the same time

145 61%

135 57%

98 41%

94 40%

81 34%

62 26%

60 25%

53 22%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Doxycycline treats bacterial and tick-borne infections.

Questions owners ask

Can Doxycycline cause fever in dogs?: 237 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 15 days 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).

Fever with similar medicines

Fever after Amoxicillin + Clavulanate (Clavamox) 342 reports · 6.4% of its reports
Fever after Cefovecin (Convenia) 220 reports · 5.8% of its reports
Fever after Enrofloxacin (Baytril) 280 reports · 7.4% of its reports
Fever after Metronidazole 178 reports · 5.8% of its reports
Fever after Amoxicillin 81 reports · 6.0% of its reports

All reported side effects of Doxycycline in dogs · Medicines most reported with fever