Ivermectin Overdose Symptoms

Question
Hi Dana,

I gave my 4-month old mini-rex twice the recommended dose of Ivermectin for her body weight.  This occurred 24 hours ago. The symptoms I noticed occurred about 8 hours after she received the Ivermectin.

The most noticeable symptom was that she was very wide-eyed; the whites of her eyes were visible.  She does this naturally once in a while, but only when she is surprised, scared, or weirded-out...like if she hears a very odd noise or is approached by a stranger.  When it happens naturally it's quite funny since it's the same way humans look when they're shocked or surprised. However, I was worried because her eyes were like this about 75% of the time. The other symptom I noticed was that she was itchy; she kept trying to scratch herself.  I should mention that she was spayed 4 days ago and was given an e-collar which she always tries to chew and scratch at.  Perhaps she just had an itch she couldn't reach.

She seems fine now, completely normal, but I'm worried she may have suffered permanent damage that I can't see (e.g. vision loss). Also, is it possible that things could still get worse or is she in the clear?

I took her on the scale with me to get her weight and came up with a difference of 2.5 lbs.  I treated her with a 0.36 mg of Ivermectin, since I thought she was a 2.5 lb bunny. However, I just noticed that the weight is marked on the spay certificate from the vet - it reads 1.3 lbs!  I'm so scared.  Please advise.  Also, I welcome your opinion on the matter.

Thanks very much.

Answer
Dear Anna,

Fear not.  It is pretty hard to overdose with ivermectin, as long as the blood/brain barrier of the animal is intact.  If you give it orally, you might see a bit of intestinal upset, but that's about it.  You'd really have to give *massive* amounts of ivermectin to get signs of overdose, which would be primarily neurological (lethargy, paralysis).

If your bunny is fine now, then I am sure any danger is past.  Ivermectin doesn't have a long "hang time" in the body, and it has probably left her system by now.

So give her a good cuddle and breathe a big sigh of relief.  :)

Hope that helps.

Dana