Head tilt - ear disorder after Ivermectin (Heartgard) in dogs

27 reports to the FDA describe head tilt - ear disorder in dogs given Ivermectin. That is 0.2% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.2% across reports for all dog medicines.

27Reports

33%Marked serious

15%Recovered

3.7%Died or euthanised

228 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

0 0.0%

1–2 days

1 7.7%

3–7 days

1 7.7%

1–4 weeks

0 0.0%

Over a month

11 85%

How the animals did

Recovered

1 3.7%

Recovered with lasting effects

3 11%

Still unwell when reported

5 19%

Died

1 3.7%

Not known

17 63%

Problems reported at the same time

16 59%

11 41%

8 30%

6 22%

6 22%

5 19%

5 19%

Eye or vision problems

4 15%

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 head tilt - ear disorder in dogs?: 27 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 228 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).

Head tilt - ear disorder with similar medicines

Head tilt - ear disorder after Ivermectin + Pyrantel (Heartgard Plus) 75 reports · 0.1% of its reports
Head tilt - ear disorder after Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (Trifexis) 157 reports · 0.1% of its reports
Head tilt - ear disorder after Moxidectin (ProHeart 6) 55 reports · 0.1% of its reports
Head tilt - ear disorder after Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor) 40 reports · 0.1% of its reports
Head tilt - ear disorder after Selamectin (Revolution) 44 reports · 0.1% of its reports

All reported side effects of Ivermectin in dogs · Medicines most reported with head tilt - ear disorder