Pet Safety / Compounds / Moxidectin

Is Moxidectin safe for dogs and cats?

Low risk for pets

Not veterinary or professional safety advice, and not a substitute for a veterinarian — consult one about your animal. Full disclaimer →

FDA-approved 6/12-month injectable heartworm prevention. Safer in MDR1-mutant breeds.

What is moxidectin?

The IUPAC name is (1R,4S,4'E,5'S,6R,6'S,8R,10E,13R,14E,16E,20R,21R,24S)-21,24-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyimino-5',11,13,22-tetramethyl-6'-[(E)-4-methylpent-2-en-2-yl]spiro[3,7,19-trioxatetracyclo[15.6.1.14,8.020,24]pentacosa-10,14,16,22-tetraene-6,2'-oxane]-2-one.

Also known as: 113507-06-5, ProHeart 6, Moxidectina, Moxidectine.

IUPAC name
(1R,4S,4'E,5'S,6R,6'S,8R,10E,13R,14E,16E,20R,21R,24S)-21,24-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyimino-5',11,13,22-tetramethyl-6'-[(E)-4-methylpent-2-en-2-yl]spiro[3,7,19-trioxatetracyclo[15.6.1.14,8.020,24]pentacosa-10,14,16,22-tetraene-6,2'-oxane]-2-one
CAS number
113507-06-5
Molecular formula
C37H53NO8
Molecular weight
639.82 g/mol
SMILES
C[C@@H]\1C/C(=C/C[C@@H]2C[C@@H](C[C@@]3(O2)C/C(=N\OC)/[C@@H]([C@H](O3)/C(=C/C(C)C)/C)C)OC(=O)[C@@H]4C=C([C@H]([C@@H]5[C@]4(/C(=C/C=C1)/CO5)O)O)C)/C
PubChem CID
9832912

Risk for dogs

Low risk

FDA-approved 6/12-month injectable heartworm prevention. Safer in MDR1-mutant breeds.

Risk for cats

Moderate risk

Used in topical combos. Generally well-tolerated.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Moxidectin.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
FDA1997Approved vet (NADA 141-189) + human drug (NDA 210867)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter moxidectin

  • Veterinary Medicine

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Moxidectin:

  • Ivermectin (lower cost)
    Trade-offs: Alternative approach; specific tradeoffs depend on application context, scale, and regulatory requirements. Full hazard assessment of alternative recommended before adoption to avoid regrettable substitution.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Selamectin (topical)
    Trade-offs: Alternative approach; specific tradeoffs depend on application context, scale, and regulatory requirements. Full hazard assessment of alternative recommended before adoption to avoid regrettable substitution.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is moxidectin safe for pets?

FDA-approved 6/12-month injectable heartworm prevention. Safer in MDR1-mutant breeds.

See Moxidectin in the pets app

Look up products containing moxidectin, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
  1. —

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →