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Puppy has blotchy skin & bloated belly. Is Ivermectin safe at 6 weeks?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Rhodesian Ridgeback | Female | unspayed | 2 years and 5 months old

Hi Doctor! Greetings from the coast of Tanzania. We have a puppy with blotchy skin and slightly bloated belly. Siblings are starting to show signs of the spots as well. Local vet with predominantly cattle experience is recommending the following for the entire litter of 8: Oligovit 0.5m in 10kg = 0.05m for each puppy Intermectin: 1ml in 50kg 0.02 for each puppy (Ivermectin) Is this safe on the puppies? They are Rhodesian RIdgebacks and they are turning 6 weeks this Wednesday. DOB 1.5.17 Kind

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2 Answers

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Answered By Joy Fuhrman, DVM, MBA, CPA

Veterinarian

Published on June 12th, 2017

It sounds like your veterinarian is treating your puppies for some form of parasitic disease. The Oligovet is a vitamin supplementation formula and should be OK to use in the puppies. Ivermectin is not recommended for use in puppies less than 6 weeks old. At six weeks it should be OK to administer although I cannot speak to the reasonableness of the dose without knowing the concentration your vet has provided you.

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    Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Dora's puppies are adorable! I can see the patchy hairless on the puppies' flanks (sides) and I'm assuming that your vet is suspicious of Demodectic mange given the prescribed medication. Other possible causes of these lesions include ringworm or Sarcoptic mange, which would require different treatments. Ivermectin can be used in puppies over 6 weeks of age, but it is considered "off label" use because Ivermectin has only been labeled for use in heartworm prevention in dogs. As for the dose, Ivermectin (as with nearly all medications) is dosed for an individual body weight. Each puppy should be weighed at least once a week so that an accurate Ivermectin dose can be calculated for each individual. If dosed incorrectly, the medication is either ineffective or can lead to signs of neurologic toxicity. I'm not familiar with Oligovet and tried to look up this medication. It appears to be a vitamin supplement, but I cannot tell if it is approved for use in young puppies. If your puppies are all eating a balanced commercially available diet, vitamin supplements are generally unnecessary. However, always speak with your vet before starting or stopping any medication or supplement. This link has additional information about Demodectic mange if you are interested in further reading: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=630. I hope that all goes well for your puppies!

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