My dog ate all his heartworm medicine. Is it an emergency? What now?

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.

This may cause some severe stomach upset including vomiting and diarrhea. I think the best thing to do for Cuddles is take him into a vet immediately to get treated for this ingestion. Please take him into one now. Best of luck.

You did exactly the right thing by calling around to vets to ask for help right away. It's always best to check when you aren't sure, and are worried about your pet. The Triheart dose that we give dogs for heart worms has very small doses of the two medications that are in it. Ivermectin is one of the medications that is in the Tri heart. The dose is 68 micrograms. Veterinarians use this medication also to treat dogs with skin mites and use a dose over 100 times the dose in one heart worm preventive tablet. Therefore, even if she would have eaten two or three boxes of the Triheart she should be very safe and there is not any risk of an overdose of the ivermectin. The other medication is called pyrantel pamoate which is used for deworming of intestinal parasites. This medication has a very large safety margin also, and can be given at 10-20 times the normal dose without any risks of toxicity. Therefore, just like with the ivermectin in the Triheart Plus, I would not expect any potential side effects either. These potential side effects could include an upset stomach, mild diarrhea, and/or vomiting. Monitor her for those side effects, and bring her into your vet in the morning if you are still concerned.

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.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Henk ingested the tablets in the last 1-2hrs, you should take him to your local vets right away to induce vomiting. If it was longer than 2hrs, making him vomit would not be recommended. If that is the case, you should monitor Henk at home for symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, tremors, problems with balance. If you notice any of these symptoms, you will have to get him to your local vets as soon as possible.

Hello, sorry to hear about Zoey. It truly depends on the dose your dog got. If the weights are similar then Zoey may not experience any side effects. If the weights are different, then it truly does depend on what dose in mg/kg Zoey ingested. If you think this dose is high then you could expect to see vomiting, diarrhea and a decreased appetite. If you note any of these, then contact your veterinarian for an appointment as Zoey may need medications to control these side effects. Hope this helps and best of luck.

If he just ate them, you can take him into a vet now to have vomiting induced to get them out. Otherwise, you can watch him. This likely will cause GI upset in the form of vomiting and diarrhea. If you see that, have him seen by a vet. Best of luck.