My dog overdosed on ivermectin. Will the neurological effects be permanent?

Poor Daisy! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. Dogs can recover from ivermectin toxicity with time, once their body has had a chance to clear the drug from their system - but this can take several days or longer, depending on how high a dose she was exposed to. It's best for her to be hospitalized for supportive care and IV fluids to help flush the drug from her body, so I would definitely recommend taking her to the vet if at all possible for the best chance of recovery.

The symptoms you have described fit with a neurologic problem. Oscar needs a thorough neurologic examination to localize the possible lesion - is it the inner ear, vestibular system of the brain, a different part of the brain, or the spinal cord. Some higher doses of ivermectin can cause neurologic issues, and permanent damage is possible. There may not be a cure, but accurate diagnosis is necessary first. I would talk to your vet about referral to a specialist.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In the US we do not use Albendazole in dogs or cats. If Oscar only weighs 5.5 lbs and if he was given 5mls that is 200mg of albendazole and at that dose it has been reported to cause mental dullness and decreased appetite in cats. It can also affect white and red blood cells. I don't have much information about overdoses in dogs. Stop giving him the medication. The dose of ivermectin should be ok. If he gets worse or doesn't improve he should be taken to an emergency hospital. Good luck!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I understand your concern but Max should be just fine. It does not appear that he got an overdose. If he was a breed with a known sensitivity to Ivermectin I would be more worried (herding dogs, collie breeds, etc). Here is a link to Ivermectin toxicity so you can know what to watch for but I don't think he will have any issues. Usually they will present with neurological symptoms. As always, if you are worried you should take him to your vet for an exam. ( http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/ivermectin-toxicity-dogs ) The treatment will still be effective. Don't worry about that! Hope this helps. Best wishes. If you have more questions please feel free to post again.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Personally, I no longer use Ivermectin to treat Demodex. I stopped about a year ago. I started using Bravecto (flea and tick preventative) that is used to treat Demodex off label. It is not marketed for use in cases of Demodex but many vets, including myself, have been using Bravecto to treat Demodex cases with very fast responses to treatment. I would discuss this as a different treatment option with your veterinarian. Rather than using Ivermectin injections, the Bravecto is given as a treat and lasts for about 3 months for one single dose. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

If it was Heartgard, there is no cause for concern. It is an extremely safe product and very difficult to overdose. If it was a different preparation of ivermectin, a double dose may not be cause for concern unless your dog is sensitive to it or carries the MDR1 gene. Typically, a non sensitive dog requires dosing around 2000mcg/kg before clinical signs become apparent. See your vet for an exam as soon as you can if you are concerned. Bring the container of ivermectin with you. Treatment for ivermectin toxicity is supportive in nature. Monitor for vomiting, excess salivation, ataxia (wobbly gait), dilated pupils or tremors.

No Ivermectin is not safe, if your vet chooses to use ivermectin he must do an MDR-1 blood test prior to that, this test will reveal if your dog has the gene that causes sensitivity to ivermectin (and other drugs). if you dog is MDR-1 positive there are alternatives, personally i use Bravecto to treat Demodex in all dogs, it's very effective and works better than ivermectin in my experience, it is also safer than ivermectin.