Swelling after Ivermectin (Heartgard) in horses
The FDA has received 93 reports of swelling in horses after Ivermectin. That is 13% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 19% across reports for all horse medicines.
93Reports
8.6%Marked serious
8.6%Recovered
15%Died or euthanised
1 daysTypical onset
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How soon it started
How the animals did
Problems reported at the same time
Age of the animals
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 swelling in horses?
- 93 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 1 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).
Swelling with similar medicines
- Swelling after Ivermectin + Praziquantel 1,470 reports · 56% of its reports
- Swelling after Moxidectin (ProHeart 6) 83 reports · 6.1% of its reports
- Swelling after Moxidectin + Praziquantel 24 reports · 6.5% of its reports
All reported side effects of Ivermectin in horses · Medicines most reported with swelling