Inappropriate defecation after Moxidectin (ProHeart 6) in dogs

119 reports to the FDA describe inappropriate defecation in dogs given Moxidectin. That is 0.2% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.2% across reports for all dog medicines.

119Reports

72%Marked serious

32%Recovered

8.4%Died or euthanised

Same dayTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

94 80%

1–2 days

13 11%

3–7 days

0 0.0%

1–4 weeks

4 3.4%

Over a month

6 5.1%

How the animals did

Recovered

38 32%

Still unwell when reported

65 55%

Died

9 7.6%

Euthanised

1 0.8%

Not known

6 5.0%

Problems reported at the same time

Vomiting

76 64%

Allergic reaction

59 50%

Lethargy

43 36%

Inappropriate urination

30 25%

28 24%

26 22%

22 18%

22 18%

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 inappropriate defecation in dogs?: 119 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).

Inappropriate defecation with similar medicines

Inappropriate defecation after Ivermectin + Pyrantel (Heartgard Plus) 217 reports · 0.1% of its reports
Inappropriate defecation after Milbemycin Oxime + Spinosad (Trifexis) 198 reports · 0.2% of its reports
Inappropriate defecation after Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel (Interceptor Plus) 83 reports · 0.3% of its reports
Inappropriate defecation after Ivermectin (Heartgard) 26 reports · 0.2% of its reports
Inappropriate defecation after Ivermectin + Praziquantel + Pyrantel (Iverhart Max) 46 reports · 0.5% of its reports

All reported side effects of Moxidectin in dogs · Medicines most reported with inappropriate defecation