Pain after Ivermectin (Heartgard) in dogs

63 reports to the FDA describe pain in dogs given Ivermectin. That is 0.5% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.7% across reports for all dog medicines.

63Reports
44%Marked serious
25%Recovered
21%Died or euthanised
38 daysTypical onset
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How soon it started

Same day
5 13%
1–2 days
6 16%
3–7 days
1 2.6%
1–4 weeks
4 11%
Over a month
22 58%

How the animals did

Recovered
15 24%
Recovered with lasting effects
1 1.6%
Still unwell when reported
16 25%
Died
6 9.5%
Euthanised
7 11%
Not known
18 29%

Problems reported at the same time

Age of the animals

Under 1 year
10
1–3 years
15
4–7 years
12
8–11 years
19
12+ years
4

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 pain in dogs?
63 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 38 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).

Pain with similar medicines

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