# heartworm meds for Anatolian



## lilredhen (Feb 20, 2005)

Just got 3 Anatolians. Hubby picked up Trifexis from the vet but I have yet to give it. We've always used Iverhart plus for our other dog (schnauzer) so I am leery of this med which I've never heard of. It contains spinosad and milbemycin oxime and is said to kill fleas.

Does anyone know anything about this drug? I'd really rather return it and give them Molly's herbals which is what I use successfully on the goats.

Doesn't Ivermectin kill intestinal worms too? I don't know that Molly's would prevent heartworm, does anyone know? Fleas I'm not worried about.


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## Goatress (Feb 4, 2011)

Google it. Better yet call your vet ask him. If he can't tell you ask him to refer you to a vet who CAN tell you. I know Anatolians and some other Turkish breeds are supposed to be sensitive to certain things/meds/etc. but then we don't have heartworm problems here, so I've never had to deal with it, with my Kangals and Anatolian/Maremmas.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

I use Ivomec injectable for heartworm control, never had a problem with my Akbash dog even at higher doses. And yes, it kills intestinal worms too.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

Injectable ivomec (given orally) is a good and safe heartworm preventitive. I use it for my Anatolians. They get 1/10 cc per 10 pounds of body weight, max of 1cc for a mature dog. They also get Comfortis for fleas, as needed. I know that Trifecta stuff came out which combines heartworm prevent plus flea control, but I won't buy it becuase I don't treat for fleas monthly or in the winter but I do continue with the heartworm preventitive in the winter. Ivomec won't kill tape worms but it will kill other intestional worms.

here's a good link to a sticky in the pet forum that gives dog dosages of common livestock wormers. http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=103988


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Molly's herbals which is what I use *successfully* on the goats.


Is that based on *actual fecal exams*, or just that they haven't shown symptoms?


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

lilredhen said:


> Doesn't Ivermectin kill intestinal worms too? .


Yes, but not whip worms or tape worms. You use prazi or interceptor every few months to do that.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Yes, but not *whip worms *or tape worms


Ivomec kills Whip Worms:



> More recently, regular heartworm prevention products have been developed to remove and control *whipworms*: Sentinel and Interceptor both will cover whipworms and their regular use covers the second deworming as well. Heartgard products do not carry a high enough dose of ivermectin to kill whipworms, though at other doses *ivermectin could be used *(with appropriate cautions -see link).


http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_whipworms.html


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

We have had this discussion before. Vet clinics do not use ivermectin for whipworms. That is why you use an interceptor or fenbendazole or another product every few months. If you don't like doing it the way the vet does it, then you do it your own way. But, since ivermectin is not approved and does not kill whip worms, I will do it the way the vet clinic does it.


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## lilredhen (Feb 20, 2005)

Thanks for your responses.

I'll ask my regular vet. This was the previous dog owner's vet who sold it to us.

I didn't know I could get injectable Ivomec and give it orally. Can I buy it without a prescription? How do you get them to take it, mix it with food?

I don't think intestinal worms are a huge problem where I live. The reason I said I had success with Molly's herbals is this: When I got my goats some of them had a rough coat, I gave them the herbs, and in 6 weeks they were beautiful. I did not do fecal exams. My goats live on pasture and appear much healthier and happier than many goats around here that stand in a corral and eat hay. So that's what I go by. Anyway I found my answer to this.

_Black walnut, pumpkin seed and other herbal treatments cannot be relied on to cure heartworms because these work in aiding to expel worms from the digestive tract, and heartworms never enter the digestive tract._ from fiasco farm


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> *We have had this discussion before*. Vet clinics do not use ivermectin for whipworms. That is why you use an interceptor or fenbendazole or another product every few months.
> If you don't like doing it the way the vet does it, then you do it your own way. But, since ivermectin is not approved and *does not kill whip worms*, I will do it the way the vet clinic does it.


Vets can *only* use "approved" drugs, but others aren't subject to those rules
Many commonly USED drugs aren't "approved" even though they work.

If we've had the conversation before, then I'm sure you must have been shown before your information as to whether or not Ivomec kills whipworms is incorrect.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6897345



> *The anthelmintic activity of ivermectin was tested in 98 dogs *against adult ascarids (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina), hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum, A braziliense), and *whipworms *(Trichuris vulpis), and against experimentally induced infections (4th-stage larvae) of T canis and A caninum.
> 
> Dosage levels tested were single subcutaneous injections of 50, 100, 200, or 400 micrograms/kg of body weight with appropriate vehicle-treated controls. A minimum of 4 (usually 5) dogs were tested with each parasite and dosage level. The lowest dosage level, 50 micrograms/kg, and all higher dosage levels expelled greater than 99% of the adult forms of both species of hookworms and intestinal larval forms of A caninum, as determined by worm counts at necropsy.
> 
> ...


So "approved" or not, it's still *effective* with the proper dose.

If you have data that shows Ivomec "does not kill whipworms" I'd like to see it


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

lilredhen said:


> Thanks for your responses.
> 
> I'll ask my regular vet. This was the previous dog owner's vet who sold it to us.
> 
> I didn't know I could get injectable Ivomec and give it orally. Can I buy it without a prescription? How do you get them to take it, mix it with food?


Injectable ivomec is available at farm supply stores or on-line farm supply places. It's sold as an injectible for cattle and pigs with no prescription. A vet will probably not advise you one way or the other on using this since it's an off-label use. But Ivomec is the active ingrediant in Heartguard so it's perfectly safe to use.


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