Ivermectin
“This page provides important general information for pet owners whose animals have been prescribed Ivermectin during a consultation by Dr Noor. Ivermectin for pets in Perth.”
Ivermectin (eye-ver-mek-tin)
Description:
Medicine used to kill parasites.
Other Names for this Medication:
- Heartgard®
- Ivomec®
Common Dosage Forms:
- Veterinary:
- Dogs: Tablets by mouth (regular or chewable): 68 micrograms, 136 micrograms, and 272 micrograms. Tablets by mouth are also sold for dogs in products that mix ivermectin with other worm medicines, including pyrantel, fenbendazole, and praziquantel.
- Cats: Chewable tablets by mouth: 55 micrograms and 165 micrograms.
- Horses: Paste by mouth: 1.87% (18.7 mg per gram) in 6.08 gram syringes. There are also pastes by mouth that mix ivermectin with praziquantel (used for tapeworms).
- Human: Tablets: 3 mg and 6 mg.
This information sheet does not include every product or detail available for this medicine. It is meant to answer common questions, but it does not replace medical guidance. If you have questions or need more details about this medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist.
Key Information – Ivermectin for pets
- This is a parasite-killing medicine used in many kinds of animals, but it can poison some species (for example, turtles, skinks, and some birds).
- Use extra care in certain dog breeds that may carry a specific gene change (called MDR1) unless testing shows they do not have it. This gene change is seen most often in breeds sometimes described as having “white feet,” such as collies, Australian shepherds, shelties, and long-haired whippets. In dogs with this gene change, ivermectin can be poisonous when given at higher doses.
- You may give this medicine with food or without food. If your pet throws up or seems unwell after getting it on an empty stomach, give the next dose with food or a small treat. If vomiting keeps happening, contact your veterinarian.
- Giving too much can be dangerous. Measure every dose accurately. Keep flavored chewable tablets where children and animals cannot reach them.
- Most animals handle this medicine well. If you notice nervous-system type problems such as coma, weakness, unsteady movement, very large pupils, shaking, heavy drooling, or your pet pushing its head against a wall, contact your veterinarian right away.
- Throw away unused medicine carefully. It can be extremely harmful to fish and wildlife.
How is this medication useful?
Ivermectin is used to treat many types of parasites in different animal species. It is used to treat and prevent heartworm and lung parasite infections, some parasites in the intestines, and certain mites that can affect the skin (mange) and ears.
Ivermectin is also approved for people, but the human tablet forms are not often used in animals because veterinary products are usually easier to get and cost less. You and your veterinarian can talk about why this medicine is the best choice.
What should I tell my veterinarian to see if this medication can be safely given?
Many factors can change how well this medicine works for your animal. Talk with your veterinarian about the following so you can make the best choices together.
- Some medicines can affect how this one works. Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about everything your animal receives, including vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. Include how much you give and when you give it.
- Tell your veterinarian about any health problems your animal has now, or has had in the past.
- If your animal has been treated before for the same problem, tell your veterinarian what was used and whether it helped or did not help.
- If your animal is pregnant or nursing, discuss the possible risks of using this medicine, especially if your dog has not been tested for the MDR1 gene change. Ivermectin is believed to be safe during pregnancy.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about any past medicine reactions your animal has had, including allergic reactions, poor appetite, diarrhea, itching, or hair loss.
How long until I will know if this medication is working, and how long will the effects of this medication last?
This medicine begins to act within about 1 to 2 hours. However, you usually will not be able to see its effects directly. Your veterinarian may need to do additional tests to confirm it is working as intended.
The action of this medicine does not last long. It generally stops working within 24 hours. The helpful results may last longer if your animal’s kidneys and/or liver do not work as well.
This medicine can be given in different ways depending on the condition being treated. Give it exactly the way your veterinarian instructed.
When should this medication not be used or be used very carefully?
No medicine is completely safe for every patient. Your veterinarian will talk with you about any special concerns for your animal.
This drug should be used WITH CAUTION:
If your animal has any of the situations listed below, talk with your veterinarian about the possible risks and benefits.
- At doses higher than what the label lists, in dog breeds that may have the MDR1 gene change, unless testing shows they do not have it. This gene change is most often found in “white feet” breeds such as collies, Australian shepherds, shelties, and long-haired whippets. Dogs with this gene change may react more strongly to the medicine, which can lead to poisoning.
- In animals that have an allergy to ivermectin or to related medicines in the same family (for example, selamectin or moxidectin).
- In animals younger than 6 weeks old.
- In dairy animals or in horses that will be used for food.
- In turtles, tortoises, indigo snakes, and skinks. In these species, ivermectin is poisonous.
- In dogs that do not have a current heartworm test. Dogs must be tested for heartworm infection before receiving products that contain ivermectin. Dogs that already have heartworms can have a serious reaction after getting the medicine, caused by a rapid die-off of immature heartworms.
- In birds. Ivermectin can be poisonous to several bird species, including orange-cheeked waxbill finches and budgerigars. It should only be used with direct guidance from a veterinarian who has experience treating birds.
- In cats younger than 1 year old, because they may have a higher chance of nervous-system poisoning.
What are the side effects of this medication?
Side effects that may be serious or indicate a serious problem:
If you notice any of the signs below, contact your veterinarian immediately.
- Horses: Itching, skin irritation, pain, and swelling of the skin. As parasites die, a mild allergic-type reaction to the dead and dying parasites can happen.
- Nervous-system poisoning. This is seen more often with higher doses in kittens and in dogs with the MDR1 gene change.
- Signs affecting the nervous system can include: coma, weakness, blindness, unsteady movement, enlarged (big) pupils, shaking, heavy drooling or foaming, or the animal pressing its head against a wall.
If my animal gets too much of this medication (an overdose), what should I do?
Too much of this medicine can be dangerous. In dogs and cats, overdose signs can include vomiting, diarrhea, stumbling, lethargy (being very tired or having low energy), fast heartbeat, heavy drooling, enlarged pupils, coma, and seizures.
If you see an overdose happen or think it may have happened, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control center for instructions.
How should this medication be given?
For this medicine to work properly, give it exactly as your veterinarian prescribed. It is helpful to read the prescription label each time so you confirm you are giving it the right way.
Ivermectin and products that combine it with other medicines can be given in several forms:
- tablets by mouth
- chewable tablets by mouth
- liquids by mouth
- pastes by mouth
- drenches by mouth
- injections
- products put on the skin
- This medicine can be given with food or on an empty stomach. If your animal vomits or seems sick after getting it without food, give the next dose with food or a small treat. If vomiting continues, contact your veterinarian.
- Liquid versions must be measured with care. Your veterinarian or pharmacist can provide special measuring spoons or dosing syringes.
- If giving the medicine is difficult, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist for ways to make dosing easier and less stressful.
- This medicine may be used for different lengths of time. Make sure you understand how long your veterinarian wants you to keep giving it. You may need prescription refills before treatment is finished. Do not stop this medicine without speaking with your veterinarian, because there may be important reasons to continue. prescription refills
What should I do if I miss giving a dose of this medication?
- If you forget a dose, give it as soon as you remember. Then wait the usual amount of time between doses that your veterinarian recommended before giving the next one. Do not give two doses at once and do not give extra doses.
- When ivermectin is used to prevent heartworm disease:
- If more than 8 weeks have gone by since the last dose, give the medicine as soon as you remember.
- After that, return to giving it once a month.
- Also, have your animal tested for heartworm infection 6 months later, because infection could have occurred during the time the medicine was not given.
How should I store this medication?
- Keep this medicine in the original prescription container, or in another approved container used to help remember doses (such as a pill organizer). Store it at room temperature and keep it away from light.
- If your veterinarian or pharmacist has prepared a custom-made version for your animal (a compounded product), follow the storage directions and the expiration date provided for that product.
- Store it where children and other animals cannot reach it, especially the chewable or flavored forms.
Can handling this medication be hazardous to me, my family, or other animals?
- For small-animal products, there are no special handling steps needed unless you are allergic to this medicine.
- For large-animal products:
- do not eat or smoke while using them
- wash your hands well after use so you do not accidentally get the medicine into your mouth
- keep it out of your eyes
How should I dispose of this medication if I don’t use it all?
Dispose of ivermectin with care because it can be extremely harmful to fish, turtles, and other wildlife.
- Do not flush this medicine in a toilet and do not rinse it down a sink.
- If your area has a community medicine “take-back” program, use that option.
- If there is no take-back program:
- combine the medicine with coffee grounds or cat litter so it is unattractive to children and animals and not recognizable to someone searching through trash
- put that mixture into a sealable plastic bag to prevent leaks
- then place it in the regular trash
- Do not keep leftover medicine to use later, and do not give it to anyone else.
What other information is important for this medication?
- Do not use the large-animal injectable products by mouth in small animals. These products are very concentrated and it is easy to give too much.
- This medicine may be prohibited in some animal competitions. Check the rules before entering your animal in a competition while this medicine is being given.
- If you have any other questions about this medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist.
“Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided as general educational material only. Every animal’s health situation is unique, and treatment decisions must be based on a full veterinary assessment. Always follow the specific instructions given during your consultation, and contact the prescribing veterinarian if you have any concerns.”
Ivermectin for pets in Perth.