Cough after Ivermectin (Heartgard) in dogs

The FDA has received 117 reports of cough in dogs after Ivermectin. That is 1.0% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.8% across reports for all dog medicines.

117Reports

41%Marked serious

26%Recovered

11%Died or euthanised

44 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

6 9.2%

1–2 days

5 7.7%

3–7 days

7 11%

1–4 weeks

12 18%

Over a month

35 54%

How the animals did

Recovered

26 22%

Recovered with lasting effects

4 3.4%

Still unwell when reported

23 20%

Died

7 6.0%

Euthanised

6 5.1%

Not known

51 44%

Problems reported at the same time

Lethargy

30 26%

Didn't prevent heartworm

29 25%

Abnormal radiograph finding

22 19%

22 19%

21 18%

20 17%

13 11%

12 10%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Ivermectin prevents heartworm disease (monthly).

Products with this ingredient include Heartgard. 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 Ivermectin cause cough in dogs?: 117 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 44 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).

Cough with similar medicines

Cough after Ivermectin + Pyrantel (Heartgard Plus) 727 reports · 0.5% of its reports
Cough after Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (Trifexis) 853 reports · 0.7% of its reports
Cough after Moxidectin (ProHeart 6) 434 reports · 0.9% of its reports
Cough after Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel (Interceptor Plus) 304 reports · 1.0% of its reports
Cough after Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor) 193 reports · 0.6% of its reports
Cough after Selamectin (Revolution) 224 reports · 0.8% of its reports
Cough after Ivermectin + Praziquantel + Pyrantel (Iverhart Max) 57 reports · 0.7% of its reports
Cough after Moxidectin + Pyrantel + Sarolaner (Simparica Trio) 24 reports · 2.1% of its reports

All reported side effects of Ivermectin in dogs · Medicines most reported with cough