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  • Best Friend Family Vet
  • Doley Road,
  • Byford,
  • Western Australia,
  • Phone: (040) 735-2836

Vincristine

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medicationWhy has my veterinarian prescribed this medicine?

Vincristine is a chemotherapeutic drug used to treat cancer in animals. These drugs can cause cancer in humans and should be handled with caution. Vincristine may be prescribed with other chemotherapeutic drugs. It is important that the treatment course prescribed is correctly given.

Vincristine is not available as a veterinary preparation. This is also the case in Australia, however Australian veterinarians can prescribe this agents to dogs and cats with no further paper work required. Therefore I suggest you delete the following sentence: Your veterinary surgeon may ask you to sign a consent form so a preparation licensed for humans can be used to treat your pet.

How do I give this medication?

- Your veterinarian will give this medication by injection to your pet. 

Potential side effects

- Your veterinarian will need to monitor your pet's blood to check the parameters. Tell your veterinarian if you think your pet may be pregnant.

- Your pet may show signs of constipation with long-term treatment.

- Chemotherapeutics can increase your pet’s chance of getting an infection, so try to keep your pet away from stray animals or animals which may have an infection.

- Other side effects may occur. If you notice anything unusual, contact your veterinarian.

Possible drug interactions

- Make sure to tell your veterinarian what other medication you are giving to your pet.

- Quite often your veterinarian may prescribe two different medications, and a drug interaction may be anticipated. In this case, your veterinarian may vary the dose and/or monitor your pet more closely.

- Drugs may interact such that they can cause an increased or decreased effect or side effects. Although drug interactions may occur, it does not mean that there is necessarily a high risk of any of these occurring. The risk of serious drug interactions is low and should be kept in perspective.

- Contact your veterinarian if your pet experiences any unusual reactions when different medications are given together.

© Copyright 2025 LifeLearn Inc. Used and/or modified with permission under license. This content written by LifeLearn Animal Health (LifeLearn Inc.) is licensed to this practice for the personal use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited without the express written consent of LifeLearn. This content does not contain all available information for any referenced medications and has not been reviewed by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, or Health Canada Veterinary Drugs Directorate. This content may help answer commonly asked questions, but is not a substitute for medical advice, or a proper consultation and/or clinical examination of your pet by a veterinarian. Please contact your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s health. Created on Aug 2, 2015.