Ivermectin

[Buddy]

I think we overdosed "Buddy" when we gave him his Ivermectin last night. We gave him what we thought looked like the right dose, a grain of rice size. Today he is very shaky and cannot hardly stand. He seems to be blind today also. I have given him Pedialyte all morning and he goes crazy trying to drink it. Is there any way that I can save him?

[2ndHandRanchRescue]

Rehabbers with experience will be with you soon. They monitor this thread so hang tight. I've never experienced Ivermectin overdose but other poisonings. Fluids fluid fluids was the key - do you have a vet you can get to this morning to see your squirrel? Rehabber in the area? SubQ fluids were in order for mine. Hang tight - they will be awake and checking soon.

here's a link I found to see if its poison overdose in animals

http://amberfoundation.org/PoisonOverdose/poiivm_IvermectinOverdose.html

[mugzeezma]

The dosage is .05cc/POUND

That's for the 1.87% paste wormer


How old is buddy?

Why did you give him Ivermectin?

[mugzeezma]

Ivermectin is a neurotoxin .... you need to start FLUSHING WITH FLUIDS ASAP
get some activated charcoal tablets...maybe too late for that as it's already in his system

FIND AN EXOTIC ANIMAL VETERINARIAN ASAP!!!

[mugzeezma]

What county are you located and what is your area code so we can find a WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR in your area

[Wonkawillie]

Wow, not sure what you can do. Maybe activated charchol to try and remove some of the toxins?????? I know it is water over the dam at this point, but I NEVER go by the grain of rice measurment with horse ivermectin. It is way to high of a dose. I Pray for your little guy and hope he can clear this out of himself. Plenty of fluids for him if you can, to try and flush kidneys and liver?????
This post may help others. Please take note of this. Ivermectin is a neurotoxin. It does not take much to overdose a small squirrel. It is common for a baby horse to be overdosed due to them being small (And newborns are 100 pounds or more!). I have horses and have dewormed them for 30 years. The total quantity of Ivermectin in one full dose for a 1200LB horse is NOT very much. If you squish it all out ( which I do as I put it on their feed), it may be a tablespoon. Now are there 1200 grains of rice in this ( based on this total being enough for 1200 squirrels are 1 pound each?)
The dose for horses is 200 Micrograms ( Micro..... NOT Miligrams) per kilo of animal flesh. So if the squirrel is one pound, this would be about 75 micrograms per squirrel. Not even one milligram of meds.
I buy the injectible cattle ivermectin. I draw up one CC and dilute it 50 times before I deworm my 80 pound dog, to be safe. Diluted, this still gives 200MCG per cc .a massive overdose for a squirrel. With the dilution at 50 times, the squirrel would then get about a grain of rice size dose.
I wonder if you can get your squirrel to a vet? The treatment for overdose is IV fluids and carbon ( charcoal ) to absorb toxins.
I pray for your little one.
I think the problem is that everyones view on a grain of rice is seen differantly. I am thinking an uncooked grain of white rice or brown rice, but Too much room for error. This would be about .o2 cc to me. With dangerous meds, they must be measured and the squirrel have an accurate weight on it.
TSB is such a friendly place and I hope I dont get scolded for this post. I am not trying to be harsh on the person with the sick squirrel. I just want to stress the seriousness of drugs and correct measurments. Please do not take this the wrong way.
Prayers for the sick squirrel.

[mugzeezma]

No scolding here WW

Who knows what was given here to how big to old to why?

All we can do is hope and pray

[Pierre]

Fluids are always good. I know when a rat gets a little too large a dose, they come out of the "stupor" in a few hours to a day.
Praying he got just a little too much and will be doing better soon.

[UDoWhat]

Any news? I would keep pushing fluids as much as you can. Just go slowly so you do not aspirate Buddy. Prayers for you and Buddy. :Love_Icon

Marty, Licensed Maryland Master Wildlife Rehabilitator

[mugzeezma]

Hey Buddy!

Whats going on?

[mugzeezma]

You can also try dilute fruit juice such as apple juice if pedialyte or water are not working....even dilute KoolAid...Gatorade Propel

[Buddy]

We have had Buddy since May 1st. My husband found him in the road all alone and he would not move so he brought him home. He was in good shape it seemed other than many flea's. We gave him a bath with a small amount of Dawn soap and that took care of the flea's. About 2 weeks ago we noticed that he had lost all the hair on his ears and they were dry and crusty, then he lost the hair in his armpits, back and tail and he was itching like crazy and becoming lethargic. I thought it was mange so we treated him with the same grain of rice amount of Ivermectin. That seemed to work great and he really improved. I thought that we were supposed to repeat the med after 7 days and that was yesterday. I think Buddy is anywhere from 14-16 weeks olds.

My county is Branch and my area code is 517. I have been told that it is illegal to have a squirrel in our area and if we call a vet they will take him away and put him down. We just wanted to keep him until he was strong enough to be released to live on his own, although my whole family has fallen in love with him.

Where would I get the Charcoal tablets?

[mugzeezma]

Activated charcoal binds with toxins and then it is passed through the gut and excreted.
At this stage of the game it maybe a moot point but still an option.
The problem I see here is the 'grain of rice' scenario. What size is that?
I am not beating up on you here only explaining.
Ivermectin is a fabulous broadspectrum antiparasitic agent BUT there are caveats...
you found it

it can be deadly

here's my opinion...I could be wrong

The first dose was tolerated ...barely

ivermectin stays in the system for 3-7 days

The first dose still had an afterlife going and another was administered
Hence the overdose.

Keep flushing and I will see what I can find
there is a site on overdose treatments but I haven't dealt with this before.
i will consult with others and see what they can come up with.

Please stay posted

[mugzeezma]

Activated charcoal can be found in the digestive aids section...I got mine at CVS...Walgreens may have it too

open capsule and mix with water and syringe it in...ASAP

be careful not to aspirate

[UDoWhat]

Activiated charcoal tablets can be purchased at most drug stores . It is OTC. Ask pharm. for help if you don't see it.

[mugzeezma]

KEEP FLOODING!!! I will be checking back
May just need time

KEEP FLOODING

[Rescue04]

ok, you can sub Q fluids to help push it out, but keep in mind - you need to know how much over (the recommended dose) the baby took in. I know you are an area where they are not squirrel friendly, but our vet said they would need to see the animal and possibly pull a blood sample to see the % in the system. As for any other treatments.....I have no advise - I have a call into our Re-habber for advise, but I may not hear back from her till this evening.

We are parying for you here.......:grouphug :grouphug

[Buddy]

He seems a bit stronger. I am trying to give him Pedialyte every 2 hours and he sucks it like he is so thirsty. I also noticed his tail wet from urine maybe? He did vomit this morning but I don't see any signs of that now. I feel so bad, I never meant to hurt him.
I didn't take offence to any of the comments, I know that you just have more knowledge than I do regarding the squirrel. Any other advise would be welcomed.

[4skwerlz]

Did you use the Ivermectin by Durvet?
140535

If so, then the entire tube contains 113.75 mg of ivermectin. Below is the LD50 (dose at which 50% of animals die) for ivermectin. LD50 for "young male rat" is approx. 21 mg for a 1-lb animal.
140536
I hope this is the case, as it would seem unlikely that Buddy could have received a lethal dose. Praying this is so.

BTW, notice the incredibly small dose that is lethal to "Rat infant." Certainly that would seem to preclude ever using ivermectin in a baby squirrel.

I hope this information is helpful in any way. No one likes to talk about ivermectin dosage out of fear of overdosing......yet, it seems as though unless we can do better figuring out dosage (or find another treatment for wild squirrels or in cases where no vet is available to prescribe Revolution) ivermectin will continue to be overdosed.:dono :dono :dono

[4skwerlz]

Another thing I am reading is that you can gauge the severity of the overdose by the amount of time between giving the drug and when symptoms appeared. Prognosis is worse if symptoms appear within 1-2 hours of dosing.

Apparently, effects of a mild-moderate overdose are usually "transient," i.e., Buddy should be better by tomorrow. And if the animal survives, there are usually no long-term effects. Searching for good news here....

Hope this helps.:grouphug

[mugzeezma]

BTW, notice the incredibly small dose that is lethal to "Rat infant." Certainly that would seem to preclude ever using ivermectin in a baby squirrel.

LD 2.3mg is HALF A TSP! That's a lot for an infant RAT which probably weighs anywhere between 30-60g? This baby weighs what...3-400g? You said 14-16 weeks?
I seriously doubt that there will be any lasting effects here.
KEEP FLUSHING...you want this excreted.
If you have any formula start feeding formula. If not get some Ensure PLUS Vanilla or pecan flavor.

4Skerwls...I KNOW what the correct and exact dose is but thank you anyway:D

[UDoWhat]

Another thing I am reading is that you can gauge the severity of the overdose by the amount of time between giving the drug and when symptoms appeared. Prognosis is worse if symptoms appear within 1-2 hours of dosing.

Apparently, effects of a mild-moderate overdose are usually "transient," i.e., Buddy should be better by tomorrow. And if the animal survives, there are usually no long-term effects. Searching for good news here....

Hope this helps.:grouphug
Yes, the other good news is that you apparently gave much less to Buddy than the dose that might be/is fatal to infant rats 2.3mg/kg. If you gave a drop that is mostly considered 0.05mg (I think). Just keep fluids going
and let us know. What is Buddy's weight?

Marty

[Buddy]

I can't thank you ALL enough for your help. I did get the Charcoal tablets and I will try that in the next half hour when I am on my lunch. I have left work every hour or so to hydrate him and check on him. My fingers are crossed but I couldn't have gotten this far without your help!
One more question for the experts...
Should I give him one whole tablet or just half?

:thankyou

[4skwerlz]

LD 2.3mg is HALF A TSP! That's a lot for an infant RAT which probably weighs anywhere between 30-60g?
Just trying to keep the numbers straight..... According to the chart, I believe the LD50 for an infant rat weighing 50g would be .115 mg (or 115 mcg). Then if 2.3 mg = 1/2 tsp, the LD50 would be around 1/40th of a tsp. Very tiny amount.:dono

[mugzeezma]

I can't thank you ALL enough for your help. I did get the Charcoal tablets and I will try that in the next half hour when I am on my lunch. I have left work every hour or so to hydrate him and check on him. My fingers are crossed but I couldn't have gotten this far without your help!
One more question for the experts...
Should I give him one whole tablet or just half?

:thankyou
Tablet?
if a capsule ... empty 2-3 and it and mix it with just enough water to make a paste that you can draw up with a syringe...give him as much as you can get in him :thumbsup
wear old clothes...IT'S REALLY MESSY and he probably won't like it too much.

thank you for caring :thumbsup
praying for a good outcome here which is more than likely

BTW 1 pound = 454g

[mugzeezma]

Just trying to keep the numbers straight..... According to the chart, I believe the LD50 for an infant rat weighing 50g would be .115 mg (or 115 mcg). Then if 2.3 mg = 1/2 tsp, the LD50 would be around 1/40th of a tsp. Very tiny amount.:dono
and that will only kill half ...
rats have a far higher tolerance than dogs and horses for that matter
I wonder about squirrels...no research on the favorite urban entertainer :shakehead
I think/hope this kid will pull through.

[Wonkawillie]

We know you meant no harm. Just keep us posted on Buddy's progress.
Rehabbers.....should Buddy's caretaker be carefull with giving too much pedialite due to the sodium???? We are all encouraging her to flush Buddy out, but should the fluids be alternated with plain water or dilute apple juice or something? pedialite for no more then 24 hours?????
Also use extreme caution feeding Buddy the fluids. His muscles and reaction may not be normal night now for swallowing. Asperation risk is high. Just go very, very slow and do not let any fluids pool in his mouth.
Prayers

[UDoWhat]

Sorry, I misread the chart thinking ml but said/ wrote mg. Can be converted with proper formula and strength of med., dilution, etc. At any rate, I am just praying for Buddy. Do keep us posted as you can.

Marty

[mugzeezma]

Sorry, I misread the chart thinking ml but said/ wrote mg. Can be converted with proper formula and strength of med., dilution, etc. At any rate, I am just praying for Buddy. Do keep us posted as you can.

Marty
Me too...once in paste form...will have to figure the amount to LD 50.... been runnig today but watching for progress...gotta love smart phones....little tiny letters though

[mugzeezma]

and that will only kill half ...
rats have a far higher tolerance than dogs and horses for that matter
I wonder about squirrels...no research on the favorite urban entertainer :shakehead
I think/hope this kid will pull through.
Ughhh LOWer tolerance...dogs and horses have LOWer tolerance for Ivermectin

[2ndHandRanchRescue]

I'm praying for little Buddy - hey guys - not so technical here - lets put our energy toward this sweet critter on this thread - debate dosing rats/dogs later at another time - its off task. We are all praying and hoping for your little Squirrel
140546

[4skwerlz]

Prayers continue for little Buddy. Checking every few minutes....We're all pulling for you, little guy!
:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[lilidukes]

Been watching and praying for Buddy today. Warmest wishes:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[mpetys]

Rehabbers.....should Buddy's caretaker be carefull with giving too much pedialite due to the sodium???? We are all encouraging her to flush Buddy out, but should the fluids be alternated with plain water or dilute apple juice or something? pedialite for no more then 24 hours?????

Just bumping this question as I don't think this has been answered and it seems like it is a good question.


Michele

[mugzeezma]

Just bumping this question as I don't think this has been answered and it seems like it is a good question.


Michele

I already stated to flood with other things AND offer Ensure PLUS for a boost of nutrition.
Electrolytes are required for proper metabolic processes but you can't live on it indefinitely.

[mugzeezma]

My county is Branch and my area code is 517. I have been told that it is illegal to have a squirrel in our area and if we call a vet they will take him away and put him down. We just wanted to keep him until he was strong enough to be released to live on his own, although my whole family has fallen in love with him.

Found these 2 in Clinton...same area code as you
You will have to feel them out as far as whether or not they will release back to you.
If it's looking really bad or if you want your friend to be back in the trees start here. Be very careful how you phrase your questions.

Hope your little guy is doing well

http://www.michigandnr.com/dlr/


CLINTON CONNELL-MARSH, CHERYL EAST LANSING, MI 48823 517-351-7304 SMALL MAMMALS AND NON-FEDERALLY REGULATED BIRDS

CLINTON SLOCUM, DENISE BATH, MI 48808 517-819-0170 RABBITS, SQUIRRELS SPECIALIZES IN REHABILITATING SMALL MAMMALS. EVENING PHONE: 517-641-6314

[UDoWhat]

Any news on Buddy tonight. Prayers continue.:Love_Icon

Marty

[babybleu]

I am in the 989 area code and know a wildlife rehabber in my area who may be able to help you or may know a rehabber in your area. She's very good. Her name is Ruth and she is with the ARK (Association to Rescue Kritters) 989-389-3305. There's also a vet in Whittemore, Dr Tom Dombroski who will treat squirrels. His number is 989-756-5111. Good Luck!!

[Wonkawillie]

About the pedialite. I thought it needed to be restricted to 24 hours due to squirrels being sensative to the sodium and high blood pressure? Not because it will not sustain them as food.

[Buddy]

mjs
Thank you ALL for your help yesterday with Buddy. I truely believe that the advise I received saved Buddy's life! We gave him the charcoal and kept up with the liquids every hour or two. He still acted so strange all evening, constantly biting the cage and blankets and even his own feet! I was so worried about him!
Thankfully, when I got up this morning he was doing much better! He is still a bit shaky but he can walk and even climb on his cage, and the biting has stopped! I am giving him melons and still the pedialyte to keep him hydrated.
I am sure I will need more help as this is my first attempt at "saving" a squirrel and I have found that it is not an easy task.

Thanks again for the help...I don't think the result would have been so good if not for all of your help!

****I just read the post regarding too much Pedialyte and mixing up the fluids...I will try switching back to water in the next hour or so...also I will see how he likes the apple juice! Thanks Again!

[4skwerlz]

Oh Thank God! :multi :wahoo

No more pedialyte after 24 hrs (too much sodium). Melons and plain water.

Such happy news!!!
:jump :wahoo

[CritterMom]

Oh, that is excellent news! And yes, adding a bit of apple juice to his water will make him want it a bit more.

I would suggest you get your hands on some Revolution. It is a "spot on" med and works for everything from maggots and fleas on babies to mange mites on adults and it is all but foolproof. You can get any kind - dog or cat and any weight - the Revolution is all the same formula and strength, they just put more in the package for big dogs than in the one for small cats. A couple drops between the shoulder blades and you are done. It is by prescription but should be easily availble from a vet.

[2ndHandRanchRescue]

That is nice news to hear! Keep up the good work - were all pulling for you!!! And praying too!:grouphug

[mugzeezma]

mjs
Thank you ALL for your help yesterday with Buddy. I truely believe that the advise I received saved Buddy's life! We gave him the charcoal and kept up with the liquids every hour or two. He still acted so strange all evening, constantly biting the cage and blankets and even his own feet! I was so worried about him!
Thankfully, when I got up this morning he was doing much better! He is still a bit shaky but he can walk and even climb on his cage, and the biting has stopped! I am giving him melons and still the pedialyte to keep him hydrated.
I am sure I will need more help as this is my first attempt at "saving" a squirrel and I have found that it is not an easy task.

Thanks again for the help...I don't think the result would have been so good if not for all of your help!

****I just read the post regarding too much Pedialyte and mixing up the fluids...I will try switching back to water in the next hour or so...also I will see how he likes the apple juice! Thanks Again!
:wott :wott :wott

You have to be so relieved!...No one wants to harm their sq but we all make mistakes

You have no idea how happy I am to hear the good news.
Dilute the apple juice and offer grapes as well as melon. Don't forget to add some Ensure PLUS into your recovery plan.
If you can get NUTRI CAL or Nutri STAT for dogs and cats, that will help too.

SO ... Dear Buddy was a close one!
Please PLEASE consult before dosing in the future

Always weigh your animal so we can calculate the dose exactly...:thumbsup

[island rehabber]

:wahooI am SO GLAD!

Honestly, I stayed away from this thread for two reasons: first and most importantly, you had EXPERT help here and excellent advice and, as you can see, it worked. :bowdown everyone :bowdown

Second, and sadly, I actually overdosed a squirrel with ivermectin once and killed it. :( It was not even mine; I was giving advice here and stupidly assumed the person had DILUTED ivermectin, when she in fact did not. That baby, who was a beloved pet, will haunt me the rest of my life and I avoid ivermectin because of it. :sad

[4skwerlz]

Although ivermectin dosage is weight-based, it also appears that for "young" animals, the dosage must be reduced by a factor of 15 regardless of bodyweight.

And based on the extremely low tolerance of "infant rats," it seems ivermectin should never be used in baby squirrels.

That was probably what happened to Buddy...him being so young, he had way less tolerance than an adult.

Anyhow, so glad he pulled through...:) And everything I've read indicates there's little chance of any lasting effects. Not toxic to the liver, thank goodness. Please keep us posted on his recovery.:grouphug

[mpetys]

I'm so happy to hear that Buddy is doing better. Give him a hug for me if he will take it! If not, just tell him that we all love him!

Michele

[UDoWhat]

I just walked in and straight to the computer to check on Buddy. I am sooooooooooooo happy that Buddy is better today.:multi Buddy is lucky to have a mom who will seek help and most of all act on that advice. Please keep in touch as you can. As you can see we are all pulling for you and sweet Buddy. :Love_Icon :Love_Icon Tummy scritches and kisses to Buddy.

Marty, Licensed Maryland Master Wildlife Rehabilitator

[djarenspace9]

I also have been lurking and hoping for the best...so glad to see he is better! :wahoo

I once overdosed 3 baby squirrels with Ivermectin, in my early days.
It was a math error, forgot to move the decimal and gave 10x the dose.
All 3 went into a semi-conscious state of delirium for about 24 hours.
I really thought they were in the process of dying and it was painful to watch them.

By some mircacle, I was able to pull them through.
All 3 were successfully released later, so it was a happy ending.

It was a significant learning experience I will never forget though:

Always check the numbers twice...and then one more time! :thumbsup

[Buddy]

Just a quick update on Buddy...he is doing just great! Making me smile as he runs about his cage climbing and playing! There is nothing cuter than watching a squirrel yawn! ha ha :wave :wave He seems to be totally back to normal and for that I am so greatful.
Thanks again for all of the prayers and advise! You guys are great!
:wott

[mugzeezma]

Just a quick update on Buddy...he is doing just great! Making me smile as he runs about his cage climbing and playing! There is nothing cuter than watching a squirrel yawn! ha ha :wave :wave He seems to be totally back to normal and for that I am so greatful.
Thanks again for all of the prayers and advise! You guys are great!
:wott
:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

HeHeeeeeeeee I LOVE IT!!!

give that boy some smoochies for me :D

[2ndHandRanchRescue]

:wott :wott :wott :wott :wott

[Pierre]

Yay, Buddy!!

:banana :fireworks :goofwe :hyper

[UDoWhat]

Hi Buddy's Mommie, I am so happy to hear that Buddy is doing so good today. What wonderful news! And yes, little squirrely yawns are the best!!!!!!!!


:jump :multi :multi :jump


Marty

[mugzeezma]

:wahoo :wahoo :wahoo
Just a quick update on Buddy...he is doing just great! Making me smile as he runs about his cage climbing and playing! There is nothing cuter than watching a squirrel yawn! ha ha :wave :wave He seems to be totally back to normal and for that I am so greatful.
Thanks again for all of the prayers and advise! You guys are great!
:wott

[island rehabber]

Thrilled to move this thread to Non Life-threatening.. :thumbsup