The Side Effects of Selamectin
Selamectin serves the active ingredient for the topical flea, tick, mite and worm treatment Pfizer sells under the brand name Revolution. The medication requires monthly application for most uses, but pet owners may have to apply selamectin twice a month treat ear mites or mange. Intestinal worms in cats can sometimes succumb to a single dose of selamectin. The medication has few side effects for animals, but can cause serious skin irritation for humans.
Other People Are Reading
-
Most-Frequent Side Effect
-
According to the prescribing information for selamectin, only temporary hair loss at the site of application occurred at a frequency of 1 percent. Only cats experienced this side effect.
Rare Side Effects
-
Between 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent of dogs and cats experienced noticeable side effects from selamectin during clinical trials of the medications. Small numbers of animals, vomited, developed diarrhea, panted more heavily, lost their appetites or after being treated with selamectin.
-
Other Reported Side Effects
-
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of selamectin, the agency and Pfizer received reports that a very small number of cats and dogs had allergy-type reactions to the medication. These rare side effects have included increased itching, hives, fever, loss of muscle coordination and death.
Warnings for Animals
-
Pets in generally poor health or who have cracked or broken skin should not receive applications of selamectin. Nor should puppies younger than 6 weeks of age or kittens younger than 8 weeks of age.
Warnings for Humans
-
In bolded text, the prescribing information for selamectin states, "Not for human use. Keep out of the reach of children. In humans, Revolution (selamectin) may be irritating to the skin and eyes." People who have gotten selamectin on their skin have broken out in rashes and experienced intense itchiness. These negative reactions occur because selamectin contains isopropyl (i.e., rubbing) alcohol and the preservative butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT. Anyone who gets selamectin on his or her skin should immediately wash the affected area with soap and water. Eye contact requires flushing with cool water, and accidental ingestion requires medical care.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit National Institutes of Health
