Gall bladder & bile duct disorder after Moxidectin (ProHeart 6) in dogs

50 reports to the FDA describe gall bladder & bile duct disorder in dogs given Moxidectin. That is 0.1% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.1% across reports for all dog medicines.

50Reports

84%Marked serious

24%Recovered

24%Died or euthanised

Same dayTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

26 68%

1–2 days

3 7.9%

3–7 days

4 11%

1–4 weeks

2 5.3%

Over a month

3 7.9%

How the animals did

Recovered

12 24%

Still unwell when reported

24 48%

Died

8 16%

Euthanised

4 8.0%

Not known

2 4.0%

Problems reported at the same time

Liver problems

38 76%

Vomiting

37 74%

Lethargy

25 50%

Abnormal ultrasound finding

21 42%

20 40%

19 38%

16 32%

12 24%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Moxidectin prevents heartworm disease (monthly topical, or a 6- or 12-month injection for dogs).

Products with this ingredient include ProHeart 6, ProHeart 12. 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 Moxidectin cause gall bladder & bile duct disorder in dogs?: 50 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 the same day 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).

Gall bladder & bile duct disorder with similar medicines

Gall bladder & bile duct disorder after Ivermectin + Pyrantel (Heartgard Plus) 35 reports · 0.0% of its reports
Gall bladder & bile duct disorder after Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (Trifexis) 84 reports · 0.1% of its reports
Gall bladder & bile duct disorder after Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel (Interceptor Plus) 22 reports · 0.1% of its reports

All reported side effects of Moxidectin in dogs · Medicines most reported with gall bladder & bile duct disorder