Can Ivermectin Be Used on Dogs With Cancer?
How do you treat lymphoma in dogs with chemotherapy?
Can Ivermectin Be Given With Chemotherapy in Lymphoma?
"My dog was diagnosed with lymphoma. While waiting for the cytology to come back, my veterinarian put him on Clavamox. The swollen lymph nodes in his neck seemed to decrease in size a bit. I also suggested trying ivermectin. After researching, my veterinarian said that it was not effective because a high enough level of the drug could not be established in the blood.
I am thinking about a modified chemotherapy with prednisone, a cancer drug in pill form, and an injection of another drug that they can give in the office. I have been reading about your recommendations for a cancer diet for dogs on this site and will move him to a whole food option, but I am wondering if ivermectin, along with the chemo, might be helpful or if it would be too much. If it should not be given during chemo, would it be a good idea to put him on it after? Thanks!"—Lynda
Research on Ivermectin and Cancer Is Lacking
There are no research projects that show that ivermectin will be beneficial to dogs with lymphoma. There is also no research that shows that ivermectin will not be beneficial, but the vast majority of veterinary oncologists are going to agree with your veterinarian and will not even prescribe it.
As you can see in my article on the correct dosing of ivermectin in cases of cancer, however, the toxic dose is high and the dose effective against some types of cancer are not that high.
So, the ivermectin may or may not help. Unfortunately, no one can give you an answer at this time.
Regarding Chemotherapy
Did your regular veterinarian discuss with you how long your dog was expected to live after chemotherapy? The median length of survival of dogs treated with chemotherapy for lymphoma is 9 to 13 months. (1) This varies depending on what cell line is involved, how generalized the cancer has spread, etc. Some dogs with lymphoma are able to fight the cancer so successfully that they live normal lives. That number is just an average.
Some Vets Refuse to Consider Ivermectin for Cancer
What no one can tell you, including veterinary oncologists who say you should not try this, is that your dog should not be on ivermectin since it will not increase his lifespan. That is because no research has been done on using ivermectin after chemotherapy.
This is a video of one well-known veterinary oncologist strongly recommending that you not use this alternative therapy:
The Case for Ivermectin—Unproven Until Proven?
Just like when it was suggested it be used for its antiviral effects, this person argues that all it is good for is against parasites. That ignores the fact that most cancer drugs are discovered when they are used for something else and are only later found to be useful in cancer.
If it were my dog, I would look for any alternative. I also recommend switching dogs to a keto-type diet, which is less likely to promote tumor growth, as you mentioned, but this also has not been proven in lymphoma.
At this point, the only thing that has been proven to increase long-term survival time is chemotherapy in conjunction with radiation. (2) Most vets are not set up for this, so you would have to seek a referral to an oncologist, most likely at your state's veterinary college.
This treatment is going to be much more expensive, so if your funds are limited you may need to look for a more affordable option to try—like ivermectin.
Sources
- Jeong SY. Evaluation of factors influencing survival time in 77 dogs with lymphoma. Open Vet J. 2023 Sep;13(9):1124-1134. doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2023.v13.i9.8. Epub 2023 Sep 30. PMID: 37842100; PMCID: PMC10576590. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10576590/
- Best MP, Straw RC, Gumpel E, Fry DR. Long-term remission and survival in dogs with high-grade, B cell lymphoma treated with chemotherapy with or without sequential low-dose rate half-body irradiation. J Vet Intern Med. 2023 Nov-Dec;37(6):2368-2374. doi: 10.1111/jvim.16840. Epub 2023 Sep 12. PMID: 37700548; PMCID: PMC10658474. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10658474/
This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from your veterinarian. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
© 2024 Mark dos Anjos, DVM
