Skin rash or irritation after Ivermectin (Heartgard) in dogs

138 reports to the FDA describe skin rash or irritation in dogs given Ivermectin. That is 1.1% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 1.3% across reports for all dog medicines.

138Reports

38%Marked serious

28%Recovered

6.5%Died or euthanised

19 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

10 15%

1–2 days

12 18%

3–7 days

5 7.7%

1–4 weeks

10 15%

Over a month

28 43%

How the animals did

Recovered

25 18%

Recovered with lasting effects

14 10%

Still unwell when reported

31 22%

Died

2 1.4%

Euthanised

7 5.1%

Not known

59 43%

Problems reported at the same time

40 29%

29 21%

24 17%

19 14%

19 14%

18 13%

15 11%

10 7.2%

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 skin rash or irritation in dogs?: 138 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 19 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).

Skin rash or irritation with similar medicines

Skin rash or irritation after Ivermectin + Pyrantel (Heartgard Plus) 664 reports · 0.4% of its reports
Skin rash or irritation after Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (Trifexis) 1,342 reports · 1.0% of its reports
Skin rash or irritation after Moxidectin (ProHeart 6) 446 reports · 0.9% of its reports
Skin rash or irritation after Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel (Interceptor Plus) 234 reports · 0.7% of its reports
Skin rash or irritation after Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor) 234 reports · 0.8% of its reports
Skin rash or irritation after Selamectin (Revolution) 728 reports · 2.5% of its reports
Skin rash or irritation after Ivermectin + Praziquantel + Pyrantel (Iverhart Max) 20 reports · 0.2% of its reports

All reported side effects of Ivermectin in dogs · Medicines most reported with skin rash or irritation