Dr Vet Hive

[Ditto]

I strongly suspect my dog is allergic to his heart worm med (Tri Heart).     He has always seemed to tolerate it well with the exception of sometimes have diarrhea a few hours after getting it.  I paid attention but wasn't sure if it was the med or the peanut butter I hid it in.  Last month he vomited 1 1/2 hours after getting it, but it took more food than usual to get him to take it so I thought it could be the food.  Today though I ended up just have to stick it down his throat cause it was clear he was wasn't going to eat it on his own, no matter what it was hidden in.    1 1/2 hours later he started vomiting, a whole lot.  He also had 2 bouts of diarrhea.    He has improved as the day has gone on and ate rice and boiled egg and kept it all down (and is very hungry).  He hasn't pooped anymore.  No way am I giving him this pill again and will contact his vet before it is due next month.  But from my brief research it seems like an allergy to heart worm meds (oral) are pretty rare.     I just wanted to see if anyone else has dealt with this or if any of the "vet" folks have any advice or insight.

[Selkie]

What type of dog is it? Some herding breeds are prone to having a genetic mutation called MDR1 that causes them to be extremely sensitive to ivermectin and some other drugs. 

[Ditto]

6 minutes ago, Selkie said:

What type of dog is it? Some herding breeds are prone to having a genetic mutation called MDR1 that causes them to be extremely sensitive to ivermectin and some other drugs. 

He is a malti-poo.  I did see that about the herding breeds.  

[Spy Car]

Following on the post by @Selkie

Here is a link to an article on Ivermectin sensitivity due to an MDR1 gene mutation.

It sounds pretty serious. I'm not an authority.

 

https://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/ivermectin-toxicity-dogs

 

Bill

[Katy]

We had a dog that was allergic too, but it was scratching not GI.  Call your vet and ask what to do.  I know with little kids benadryl can stop a GI allergic reaction, but with stomach viruses going around too, I'd start with the vet.

[Selkie]

I just did some quick googling and saw that poodles are on the list of breeds that can have the MDR1 mutation. It is definitely worth discussing with your vet, as several commonly used drugs can be toxic.

It is easy to get your dog tested for the mutation. I used Wisdom Panel to test my Aussies. You can also get it done through the Washington State University Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Lab.

https://vcpl.vetmed.wsu.edu

My vet recommends Interceptor Plus as the only heartworm preventative that should be used with dogs that have or could have the mutation.

 

 

[Pawz4me]

It's not impossible that he's reacting to one of the inactive ingredients like whatever's used to flavor it.

[Ditto]

1 hour ago, Selkie said:

I just did some quick googling and saw that poodles are on the list of breeds that can have the MDR1 mutation. It is definitely worth discussing with your vet, as several commonly used drugs can be toxic.

It is easy to get your dog tested for the mutation. I used Wisdom Panel to test my Aussies. You can also get it done through the Washington State University Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Lab.

https://vcpl.vetmed.wsu.edu

My vet recommends Interceptor Plus as the only heartworm preventative that should be used with dogs that have or could have the mutation.

 

 

Thank you.   I checked several different sites and never saw poodles listed as a breed that can have the mutation.  I'm glad that you spotted it and let me know.  Thank you for the testing link and safe heartworm prevention as well.  I appreciate it.

[Tree Frog]

My dog has vomited a couple of times about an hour after Tri Heart, too, but not every month. I chalked it up to having a sensitive stomach. I'll watch more closely. I'm glad you asked the question!

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

It's not impossible that he's reacting to one of the inactive ingredients like whatever's used to flavor it.

This. If he doesn't tolerate it, definitely use something else, there are several options out there. Maybe interceptor if you can find that.