Weakness after Doxycycline in dogs

The FDA has received 150 reports of weakness in dogs after Doxycycline. That is 3.7% 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.

150Reports

81%Marked serious

6.7%Recovered

40%Died or euthanised

13 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

19 15%

1–2 days

16 13%

3–7 days

18 14%

1–4 weeks

29 23%

Over a month

43 34%

How the animals did

Recovered

9 6.0%

Recovered with lasting effects

1 0.7%

Still unwell when reported

58 39%

Died

23 15%

Euthanised

37 25%

Not known

22 15%

Problems reported at the same time

73 49%

71 47%

60 40%

52 35%

49 33%

42 28%

36 24%

32 21%

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 weakness in dogs?: 150 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 13 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).

Weakness with similar medicines

Weakness after Amoxicillin + Clavulanate (Clavamox) 194 reports · 3.6% of its reports
Weakness after Cefovecin (Convenia) 130 reports · 3.4% of its reports
Weakness after Enrofloxacin (Baytril) 215 reports · 5.7% of its reports
Weakness after Metronidazole 176 reports · 5.7% of its reports
Weakness after Amoxicillin 75 reports · 5.6% of its reports

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