Ketoconazole for dogs.

Dr. Marie replied:

Ketoconazole is not a drug that I use often. However, there are times when a dog needs an oral antifungal medication and nothing else will do.

I agree with you that if you read the drug label it looks like ketoconazole is quite scary. In truth, if you read almost any drug label, the list of side effects can be large.

In a healthy dog I rarely have concerns about using ketoconazole and I would consider it safe. I wouldn't use it in a dog with liver problems because it can cause liver problems to get worse.

It is possible, for a healthy dog to get liver disease as a result of being on ketoconazole. For this reason, I usually recommend doing some blood tests periodically when I have a dog on this drug for a long time.

Some dogs will have some mild stomach upset on this drug. If this happens your vet may prescribe medication to help.

If your vet has recommended ketoconzaole then it is likely necessary. You can speak to them about whether some bloodwork is a good idea.

Hope all goes well!

Dr. Marie.

p.s. if you have more concerns feel free to reply. I will however be offline for about 30 minutes or so.

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.