# Heartworm medication



## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I have read on some other forums here that some dog owners their pets to free or low cost clinics for vaccinations and treat them naturally for some of their allergies, funguses, etc. My question is how you would get the heartworm prevention? It requires a prescription. My husband and I are retired, live off social security, and try to save money. I see the $10 a shot vaccination ads in the newspaper all the time. These are mobile Veterinarians who go to the Walgreens parking lots to administer the vaccinations.
I don't see anywhere online where you can get heartworm preventative without a prescription from a Vet. 
We live in an area where mosquitos are out year round.


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## birdman1 (Oct 3, 2011)

I don't know if its leagle or not or the doseage but lots of dog owners use wormers .packaged for horses or ivermec for hogs on there dogs 'seems as there is the same active ingregents but at a much lower price .I use horse wormer on the farm dogs and use the cattle pour on to get rid of ear mites on the rabbits ,I read years ago in the **** hound magizene about useing ivomec hog wormer to prevent heart worms just wish I could remmber the doseage .maybe some one could remind me .If you yse the same dosage per pound as you would for pigs .another tip I use cattle ear tags or fly tags just attach to the collar to keep fleas and ticks off much cheaper than those packaged for dogs .


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## Caitedid (Jun 2, 2004)

I know you're not meant to use Ivomec on some dogs (believe it's collies) due to a genetic wing-dinger that can make it toxic to them. Just to keep that in mind.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

We get ours from the vet.Its a peanut butter flavored Ivormecton tablet.One tab per month .12 tabs forty dollars.Not sure if he makes it or he buys it already made.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

We can't get that here. I get Sentinel.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

I use the sheep drench ivermectin, it can be given orally without needing to be diluted unlike the cattle version. 

There is a lot of info at this website


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

Caitedid said:


> I know you're not meant to use Ivomec on some dogs (believe it's collies) due to a genetic wing-dinger that can make it toxic to them. Just to keep that in mind.


from the link I posted 

High dosages of ivermectin are considered safe for all dogs except those with the MDR1 gene mutation that makes them sensitive to ivermectin and other drugs. Commonly affected breeds include the Collie, Australian Shepherd (all sizes), Shetland Sheepdog, English Shepherd, Old English Sheepdog, McNab, German Shepherd, Long-haired Whippet, and Silken Windhound. There is now a test available to screen for the presence of the mutated MDR1 gene that causes this problem

This link lists the rate of the mutation in different breeds. 



My German Shepherd was on heartgard as a puppy until we switched to the sheep drench, but the rate of mutation in GSDs is only 10% and our vet didn't even mention testing for it. I didn't find out about the possibility of mutation until later. Apparently even mixed breeds are 5%


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

Ivermectin is the main ingredient in most heartworm prevention and you can get it in bulk for other animals in many forms. A $30 bottle of 1% liquid can last years. However like mentioned herding breeds may not be able to have ivermectin and so should be tested for that gene first or you should go through a vet for more frequent heartworm testing and other methods. Also it is best to get a heartworm test done before you start preventatives for heartworms because if they are already present it can cause complications and even death to give them a standard dose. I don't really agree with my vet's need to test yearly if the dogs have been on it constantly but you should test any time you miss doses during mosquito season or start a new method.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

I use injectable ivomec and just mix it in a little canned food each month. Pennies a month vs. whatever the cost of HW prev is now! 

Yes, Collies and Shelties are the breeds most susceptible to Ivomec because it can cross their blood/brain barrier.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

farmmom said:


> I use injectable ivomec and just mix it in a little canned food each month. Pennies a month vs. whatever the cost of HW prev is now!
> 
> Yes, Collies and Shelties are the breeds most susceptible to Ivomec because it can cross their blood/brain barrier.


Thats what I use to use when I had a bunch of **** dogs.If I remember correctly,it was to give 1/10th cc for each 10 pound of dogs body weight once a month.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

Buy heartworm pills online through Canada without an Rx.

You can use liquid ivomec if you have a larger dog, but the dosage is incredibly small and you can kill your dog if you get it wrong.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I saw the Canadian site and wondered about it. Has anyone here ever used it? Have you used it, Haven?


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

gapeach said:


> I don't see anywhere online where you can get heartworm preventative without a prescription from a Vet.
> We live in an area where mosquitos are out year round.


Ivermectin is what is in Heart Guard plus some PPM to make it taste better. You can just buy plain ivermectin (or plain PPM) in any ag store. It costs less than $10 a year to prevent heartworms in a dog if you buy it and mix it yourself.
(PPM is the abbreviation for pyrantal pamoate.)

The most expensive part of owning a dog is actually what you buy to spoil them. Then spaying and teeth cleaning, but you don't have to do that too often. Dogs are not super expensive pets, and they are priceless as companions.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

birdman1 said:


> another tip I use cattle ear tags or fly tags just attach to the collar to keep fleas and ticks off


Do they work? The outside LGDs get bothered by flies in the summer, and Advantage doesn't work for flies.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

I have seen this website and wondered about it.
http://www.heartworm-medicine.info/where-to-buy-cheap-meds-from-canada.html

My husband has been ordered his medications from Canada for a long time. He reaches the Medicare D donut hole pretty fast.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

If you ONLY want to treat for Heartworms, 1/10th ML TOTAL is plenty.

The higher doses are to treat for all other worms (except Tapeworms)

The farther North you are , the less often you need to treat them:

http://www.tibetanmastiff.net/Heartworm.html



> Simply put, *it must stay above 60 degrees for 30 consecutive days AND nights for the larvae to progress to stage L3 and be passed through the mouthparts of a mosquito to a host animal.* If the temperature dips below 57F the maturation is retarded and cannot continue. This process would become accelerated if there were two weeks of temperature at or above 80F (27C), days AND nights.
> 
> As a result, heartworm disease is not only geographically limited, but also seasonally limited. For many of us this means that year round heartworm prevention is totally unnecessary. In fact, in my area of the country, I would not even need to begin giving heartworm meds until the first of June and would give their last dose of the year on the first of November. I feel very strongly that the dogs should only have to take heartworm meds for the months that they are truly at risk. Below I have provided the maps from the study that give you a guideline of when to begin and stop heartworm medication.


To measure VERY small doses, you can use an Insulin syringe marked in UNITS instead of ML's


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## CottageLife (Jul 20, 2009)

Please know you need to give any heartworm prevention for a month AFTER you see the last mosquito. The Ivermectin kills the larvea that the mosquito may have put in your dog the month before so always dose for one month AFTER the last mosquito in your area has died.


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## Haven (Aug 16, 2010)

gapeach said:


> I saw the Canadian site and wondered about it. Has anyone here ever used it? Have you used it, Haven?


Yes, I order 1+ years worth at a time through a Canadian site.

I used to just mix the liquid for the Dobermans, but got tired of mixing and dosing it.


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## gapeach (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you, Haven. We still have 3 Sentinel left in the pack we bought at the vet for $80.


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## Caitedid (Jun 2, 2004)

Melesine- Thanks for posting that link.  I have an Aussie, so I need to talk to the vet about testing or what other treatment they would recommend.


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## pancho (Oct 23, 2006)

I buy mine online, a years worth at a time. Much cheaper, no prescription needed, and the shipping isn't much.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I use black walnut hull tincture. It also kills other parasites.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

I've ordered tabs from australia but forget the brand. My dog won't take any of the flavored stuff and they stopped offering tabs in the US. I have to shove those giant bricks of rough material down her throat in many pieces. Forget suggesting putting it in anything cause it won't work even if you spend 5mins cutting it in to 1/16th inch cubes first.


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

Last year a dog came in to be treated for being HW + that has been on the black walnut tincture religiously for years. This is not even a heavy HW area.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

Problem with herbals is that they are no different than our created meds (many came from herbals originally like aspirin being in willow) except they aren't pure. In order to dose enough to do what you want you often have the secondary ingredients become toxic and cause major side effects or death. They also usually don't get absorbed and carried around the body as well. That makes them very poor for things like internal parasite killing where you need to dose enough to kill the parasite without it being toxic to the host. Great for external stuff sometimes and can help as preventatives, reducing how often you use other meds, but I'll stick to our proven, purified chemicals for actual treatment of internal problems.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

I use Joe's Pet meds for my HW preventative. No script needed. Someone else posted a link that details when you start and stop your HW meds...that is a great resource. Now about the toxicty of ivermectin in collies and other herding breeds with MDR1 mutation...the tiny dose for hw prevention is not enough to cause an issue--- but you do not want to give more, so do not give ivermectin that is not premeasured if you have a herding breed or herding breed cross (white feet, don't treat) as ivermectin is measured in micrograms...tiny, tiny amount and is not stable in the solution. Not a big deal for livestock, but it is a big deal if dosing a small animal. You do not want to overdose a dog that may have the mutation nor underdose and have the dog at risk. I have given heartguard generic for many years to my collies. Another note...do not buy the larger size and try to cut it in half to give to save money- the ivermectin may not be evenly dispersed throughout the chewables/tablets. Not worth over or under dosing for a few cents.
Lastly, if the dog does get heartworm and is not severely affected, then it can be treated with heartguard given monthly year round. It is a slow kill....fine for low load of worms, but IMO not something you would want to do if the dog is carrying a heavy load due to the damage the worms will be causing until they do die off and the risk of blockage due to the numbers.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

> Lastly, if the dog does get heartworm and is not severely affected, then it can be treated with heartguard given monthly year round. It is a slow kill.


This is actually a good reason to treat year round even in cold climates. I've been told it takes 6-8months to kill the worms by using standard dose ivermectin like in heartguard so if you didn't do a negative test at the end of the year for your dog continual treatment might catch worms that survived and kill them over winter.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I have a collie and stay away from Ivermectin, which is one reason I use the black walnut hull tincture. But, as with any medication, if the dose is to kill microfilia and your heartworms are grown beyond that stage, the dose will not kill them. This is true for Heartguard and any other preventative. This is why you dose them throughout mosquito season. My collie is ten, is tested every spring, and still no heartworms, though they are prevalent here.


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