Posted by Bruce (Cumming, Ga) on 07/27/2012
My 4 yr old 72 lb Golden Retriever Scout died today. I believe his death may have been caused by ketoconazole. My vet prescribed ketoconazole 300 mg twice a day for a yeast infection in his ears. Scout also received his annual vaccinations for rabies and bordetella the same day the prescription began.
Scout died on the 11th day after beginning this treatment. The only symptom he exhibited over this time period was a decrease in energy and on his last day, a lack of appetite.
I will never allow my dogs to take this drug in the future. I would appreciate any information about ketoconazole and others experiences with this drug.
Posted by Steph (Kennedale, Tx) on 06/20/2011
An australian shepherd or border collie mix puppy we had taken had some kind of rash so we thought after a month of it not going away after using different shampoos we should take it to the vet. He was treated for ringworm. The vet had prescribed ketoconazole and after 5 days of giving the half tab every 12 hours we noticed he stopped eating. We were told to stop giving the medicine and to try giving boiled chicken and rice. The pup became very weak and fatigued and would not eat and just lay there. Deciding not to take him back to the vet who had prescribed this treatment which was made him worse than what he was originally, we let the dog peacefully go.
I would really think twice before giving dogs medicines and found out that most cases of ringworm can disappear on their own. I should have stuck with mother nature instead of trusting a licensed professional to assist with this matter of nature.
Posted by Jean (Desert Hills., Arizona) on 10/03/2008
I would like all pet owners to not give their dogs Ketoconazole for Yeast or Valley Fever. Against my best judgment I gave this to our dog for Valley Fever and he died 3 months later from a failed liver. This is one of the side effects. It is much better to go Natural and stick with this so your dog will have a better life. And by the way they have a cure in Tucson, Arizona at the University of Arizona, but this is another drug and would have to be checked out for side effects. Many states have Valley Fever now. The states are California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and Utah. This problem in in the dirt. Something needs to be done. This affects humans and animals and etc.
Please beware of what I am saying for the sake of your pet!!!
Posted by Guenady (Nice, France) on 08/10/2008
For your accumulated information on adverse reactions to drugs, two of my dogs were prescribed ketoconazole for a yeast skin infection. One survived the treatment, the other died during treatment. Other than the skin infection (which was not life threatening), he had no health issues. I was not told before treatment that this medication is hepatotoxic and that it can kill, that it has been established by the manufacturer that there is a 1:10,000 risk of allergic reaction (with underreporting recognized). The vet was not aware (!) of the symptoms of allergic reaction, so when I reported them she did not stop the treatment (dark urine, extreme fatigue, skin turning black and peeling...). When I finally stopped the treatment myself, because my dog was just getting sicker and sicker (after 13 1/2 doses administered out of 30 prescribed) it was already too late. 4 days later he came down with hepititis and 34 days after starting the treatment he died (with bloody vomitting and bloody diahrrea). Although I reported all this, despite my distress) nothing was taken into consideration, everything was dismissed as being a coincidence, and I was given the classic excuse 'your dog was already sick and would have died anyway.' This is an outright lie, of course, and contradicts all the medical file of my dog. But try to get an adverse reaction taken into consideration when the 'authorities' don't want to take it into consideration! Of course there is underreporting! Normally I never give vet medicines to my animals, only homeopathy, but at the time I had no alternative therapy, as skin yeast infection is very difficult to treat. I have since gotten my second dog almost out of her condition, using probiotics and herb Robert and direct applications of hydrogen peroxide on the worst affected areas. My opinion of vets and the authorities that 'oversee' them, has descended to about 0. Would like to know if others have had bad experiences with ketoconazole.
