Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog went blind after ivermectin but recovered with lipid therapy
By Epstein, Steven E & Hollingsworth, Steven R·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2013·Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Ivermectin-induced blindness treated with intravenous lipid therapy in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A female neutered Jack Russell Terrier suddenly became blind after accidentally ingesting ivermectin, a medication that can be toxic to dogs. During her examination, she showed no response to light or movement in her eyes, and tests confirmed the presence of ivermectin in her system. The veterinarian treated her with intravenous lipid therapy about 20 hours after the exposure, and remarkably, her pupillary reflexes returned within 30 minutes, indicating her sight was improving. By the end of the treatment, she was behaving as if she could see again, although some eye tests remained unchanged.
People also search for: dog blindness after ivermectin · Jack Russell Terrier ivermectin toxicity · intravenous lipid therapy for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report a case of blindness due to the ingestion of ivermectin and subsequent successful treatment with intravenous lipid (IVL) therapy. CASE SUMMARY: A female neutered Jack Russell Terrier was examined for acute onset of apparent blindness after being exposed to ivermectin the previous day. The dog appeared to be blind during initial examination. Pupillary light reflex, menace response, and dazzle reflex were not present in either eye. Fundic examination revealed small areas of linear retinal edema. Electroretinography (ERG) showed diminished activity in both eyes. Ivermectin was present in the serum on toxicological assay. Approximately 20 hours after exposure, IVL was infused. Within 30 minutes of initiating the infusion, the pupillary light reflexes returned in both eyes, and by the end of the infusion the patient behaved as if sighted. Fundic examination and ERG were unchanged at this time. The dog was tested for the multidrug resistance gene mutation and was unaffected. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: Ivermectin toxicity occurs in dogs with apparent blindness being a common clinical sign. This is the first case report of ivermectin-induced blindness evaluated with ERG before and after treatment with IVL in a dog unaffected by the multidrug resistance gene mutation. Treatment with an infusion of IVL therapy appeared to shorten the clinical course of disease in this patient without affecting ERG results.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23317101/