New Heartworm Pill!!

[aprilb]

Originally Posted by SammieMom

OMG--Jackie that is word for word what my Vet said to me about IH! I drive the poor guys nuts!! he also recomends the plus without all wormers like you said.

Well, if you can do it, I guess I can do it..fortunately I won't have to worry about it until April 2013..

[SammieMom]

Well April - little 5 lb Sammie did fine. Still gotta give it to Penny next week. If she throws up then she will get one more dose as they say it can happen on first dose. I checked all brands and this is one I want both on if possible. If she gets sick on second one then I guess it's revolution. Her breeder used it on her before. I feel lot better about it all now that I have a plan. Figuring stuff out can be hardest part.
Thanks everyone for your posts.

[jmm]

I wouldn't recommend a drug I wouldn't give my own dogs. I think Iverhart or Revolution are fine options. I think getting heartworms is a pretty horrible, potentially fatal ordeal. Just not worth it for me. I'll give the prevention.

[ckanen2n]

Originally Posted by jmm

I wouldn't recommend a drug I wouldn't give my own dogs. I think Iverhart or Revolution are fine options. I think getting heartworms is a pretty horrible, potentially fatal ordeal. Just not worth it for me. I'll give the prevention.

OK - I am a bit confused. we were at the vet yesterday for a heartworm test and Heartguard was recommended.
As for straight Ivermectin, the techs told me dosing was very difficult that you only need .02 for horse,so it was almost impossible to dose for 5 lbs. They said Heartguard was very safe!
So - Should I be asking about Iverheart?

[jmm]

The dog must chew up and eat the whole heartgard chew. Otherwise it is the same drug as Iverheart.

[Tanner's Mom]

I know people who get the 10-25# Iverhart pill and cut it in half for their Malts. Are you saying that is not safe? Why?

[SammieMom]

Originally Posted by Tanner's Mom

I know people who get the 10-25# Iverhart pill and cut it in half for their Malts. Are you saying that is not safe? Why?

Marti,
Yes many people do this. So I asked Sammie's surgeon and my general Vet about half a dose and he said do NOT give half the pill unless you want to risk exposure to heart worms and the amount of drug in a HW pill is not near the dose of same drug used for other disease treatments.

[jmm]

The ivermectin is not necessarily distributed evenly in the pill (or heartgard chew). If you cut it in half and your dog does not receive an adequate dose, your dog could have contract heartworms. In addition, most heartworm products offer a guarantee if their product is purchased from a vet (or approved pharmacy) and give it as labeled. Heartworm treatment can cost thousands of dollars. In the end it is up to you, but know the risks and be aware if you are voiding your guarantee.

[S&LP'S Mommy]

So basically Heartgard chew and iverhart pill are the same thing? Just chew vs pill? I went to the vet yesterday my vet recommended Revolution but I don't like topical's so she then recommended heartgard but years ago Sasha had a reaction from it. So I was under the impression Iverhart was different from Heartgard but I guess I was wrong.

[maggieh]

Iverhart and Heartgard are both ivermectin. My girls both had horrible reactionsl to Heartgard - including several days of diarhea so I am really hoping there is an alternative by the time my supply of Interceptor runs out in May. In addition to the different medication, I like the fact that Interceptor is 1 - 10 pounds; the smallest dosage of the ivermectin is 1 - 25 pounds, so our little 5 - 7 pound fluffs are getting 2 - 4 times the dosage that is needed.