Not drinking after Ivermectin (Heartgard) in dogs

48 reports to the FDA describe not drinking in dogs given Ivermectin. That is 0.4% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.5% across reports for all dog medicines.

48Reports

35%Marked serious

40%Recovered

8.3%Died or euthanised

33 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

8 21%

1–2 days

2 5.3%

3–7 days

3 7.9%

1–4 weeks

5 13%

Over a month

20 53%

How the animals did

Recovered

19 40%

Still unwell when reported

15 31%

Euthanised

4 8.3%

Not known

10 21%

Problems reported at the same time

42 88%

27 56%

17 35%

8 17%

8 17%

7 15%

7 15%

6 13%

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 not drinking in dogs?: 48 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 33 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).

Not drinking with similar medicines

Not drinking after Ivermectin + Pyrantel (Heartgard Plus) 282 reports · 0.2% of its reports
Not drinking after Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (Trifexis) 962 reports · 0.7% of its reports
Not drinking after Moxidectin (ProHeart 6) 169 reports · 0.3% of its reports
Not drinking after Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel (Interceptor Plus) 187 reports · 0.6% of its reports
Not drinking after Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor) 43 reports · 0.1% of its reports
Not drinking after Selamectin (Revolution) 42 reports · 0.1% of its reports
Not drinking after Ivermectin + Praziquantel + Pyrantel (Iverhart Max) 41 reports · 0.5% of its reports

All reported side effects of Ivermectin in dogs · Medicines most reported with not drinking