Liver disorder after Doxycycline in dogs

The FDA has received 26 reports of liver disorder in dogs after Doxycycline. That is 0.6% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.1% across reports for all dog medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

26Reports

81%Marked serious

7.7%Recovered

54%Died or euthanised

100 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

1 5.0%

1–2 days

2 10%

3–7 days

1 5.0%

1–4 weeks

4 20%

Over a month

12 60%

How the animals did

Recovered

2 7.7%

Still unwell when reported

6 23%

Died

4 15%

Euthanised

10 38%

Not known

4 15%

Problems reported at the same time

21 81%

18 69%

15 58%

14 54%

11 42%

11 42%

Abnormal ultrasound finding

11 42%

Leucocytosis

9 35%

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 liver disorder in dogs?: 26 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 100 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).

Liver disorder with similar medicines

Liver disorder after Amoxicillin + Clavulanate (Clavamox) 33 reports · 0.6% of its reports
Liver disorder after Enrofloxacin (Baytril) 32 reports · 0.8% of its reports
Liver disorder after Metronidazole 30 reports · 1.0% of its reports

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