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Heartworm
& other anti-parasitic meds
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Ivormectin for
heartworm prevention
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Other meds
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Diluting Ivomec
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Ivermectin
is the ingredient in
Heartgard
- the popular
heartworm prevention medicine.
Yet the actual
medicine in it costs less than a penny.
Heartgard also contains pyrantel pamoate; an
inexpensive dewormer. Like ivormectin, you may buy
pyrantel pamoate in bulk at inexpensive cost.
This page is
focused only on heartworm prevention
because the consequence of letting my German
Shepherd ever contract such a nasty parasite is
scary.
But, yes, I give Tyler other medications such as KP
Advantix, Frontline Plus, and Revolution.
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Prevention of heartworm infection
...ivermectin (sold under the brand name Heartgard...), milbemycin ...Advantage Multi
(imidacloprid + moxidectin) Topical
Solution, which utilizes moxidectin for
control and prevention of roundworms,
hookworms, heartworms, whipworms, as well as
imidacloprid to kill adult fleas. Selamectin
(Revolution), ...also controls fleas, ticks,
and mites.
Preventive drugs ...protect more than 99
percent of dogs and cats from heartworm.
Most compromises in protection result from
failure to properly administer the drugs
during seasonal transmission periods. In
regions where the temperature is
consistently above 14 C (57 F) year round,
a continuous prevention schedule is
recommended.
It has been shown that lapses of up to 4
months between doses of Ivermectin-based
products still provides 95% protection from
adult worms. ...
Heartworm prevention for cats is available
as ivermectin (Heartgard for Cats), ...or
the topical selamectin (Revolution for
Cats).
Annual testing
for heartworms
...ensuring
that prophylaxis is achieved ...first ensure that
the dog is free of heartworm infection. ...most
practitioners retest at six months to coincide with
refilling prescriptions and performing semiannual
exams. ...subsequent antigen testing should be
performed on the one-year anniversary date of the
initial test and annually thereafter...precisely
determine if a dog is infected...testing can be
performed ...again four months later. ...an antigen
test may be positive as early as five months after
infection...
...note that a negative antigen test at four months
..does not ensure that a dog was negative ..at the
time of starting, resuming or changing any
preventive therapy.
Preventives...ivermectin, milbemycin oxime,
moxidectin or selamectin
...will eventually clear
microfilariae from the blood of most dogs with
patent infections...by the drugs...microfilaricidal
effect...retard repopulation by gradually
suppressing embryogenesis.
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Medications
I use on Tyler to prevent fleas, ticks, heartworms etc.
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I rotate medications such as Advantix and Frontline
since they contain different medicines; parasites
might develop a tolerance. If I give him Revolution
one month I don't give him ivermectin since
Revolution is the heartworm preventative for that
month. My rule is to give Tyler a flea & tick med + a heartworm med
every
month
; either Revolution alone; or Advantix +
ivermectin; or Frontline + ivermectin. If you have
comments on
this let me know?
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K9 Advantix
(ebay - $44/4 doses)
Frontline Plus
(eBay - $36/4 doses)
Revolution
(from Canada; $96/6 doses)
Ivermectin
(make my own dilution; 2 cents/dose)
eBay is a good place
to pick them up at discount; I
purchased a 4X of K9 Advantix for $44 including
shipping. I also bought Frontline Plus, large dog
size, 4 doses for $36. These are great prices when I
compare to what they charge at local vets or pet
stores,
Revolution is about $16/month
at the best price discounts online but REQUIRES A
PRESCRIPTION. So screw that!
Buy it from Canada.
Many vets want to profit by selling Revolution to
you directly for $30/dose. That is $360/year.
If you visit a vet to get Revolution you should insist
on a 6 or 12 month
prescription
for Revolution to
take
away with you
-
just as a regular doctor gives
you a prescription to take away.
Then you can buy Revolution
from your choice of
best price
online
providers. DO NOT BUY IT FROM THE VET AT THEIR
MARKUP PRICE!
Search online for the cost of Revolution
and
mail them the prescription. (Make a copy for back up
before you mail it).
See Google
for
"
revolution
for dogs without prescription"
& buy
directly from Canada.
If my vet refuses to give me a take home
prescription, I
'd look for a new vet.
I won't be
pushed around by vets trying to make money from poor
people like myself.
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Veterinarians who fish for money
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Watch out for the paperwork the front
office person asks you to fill out. One vet I took
Tyler to had a section with questions such as
"Do you believe your dog
deserves the best medical care money can
buy?"
[I checked
NO
]
"My dog is a well loved member of the
family"
[I wrote in my own box & checked-
He's a dog!
]
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Vets are trained
(they take marketing courses in vet school, read
books on how to have a highly profitable practice,
etc.) to dig around in your
pockets to see how much money you will part with.
Cat lovers pay more for services than dog owners
based on the assumption that cat lovers will pay
more for "
Sweet little kitty cat..."
Just do a Google search on
"money grubbing veterinarians"
and
form your own opinions.
[return]
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From "Profit Profile" advice for Vets to
make more money
Send a reminder post card, then a reminder
letter. After the reminder
letter have a staff member call and express
concern that the pet is getting all the
medical care needed. This should be
scripted... it lets past clients know you
are concerned ... about their pets medical
care. 75% - 89% of clients do not care about
price when picking and staying with a
veterinarian...85% 90% of clients state
that they are extremely happy with their
veterinarian and wouldnt change even if
price was cheaper at another price.
[more...]
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Revolution
(Selamectin) is a
topical, once-monthly pet medication
distributed by Pfizer and manufactured in an
undisclosed country, that prevents
heartworms, fleas, ear mites, sarcoptic
mange (scabies), and certain types of ticks
in dogs, and prevents heartworms, fleas, ear
mites, hookworms, and roundworms in cats.
The active ingredient, Selamectin, which
causes paralysis and eventual death in the
aforementioned parasites, has tested
positively as recently as 2023. Revolution
is waterfast, and does not lose its
effectiveness with bathing. It is packaged
according to its varying dosage sizes, and
is applied once monthly.
Selamectin is a topical (applied to the
skin) insecticide and heartworm preventive.
It is also used to treat ear mites,
demodectic (red) mange and sarcoptic mange
(scabies). Temporary irritation or hair loss
at the application site may be seen.
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Advantage
(Imidacloprid) Imidacloprid
is another relatively new insecticide, which
is in yet a different class of chemicals.
Imidacloprid interferes with the nerve
conduction system of insects. Imidacloprid
acts by blocking the nerve receptors. It
kills fleas, but does not have activity
against ticks. Imidacloprid is mixed with an
oil carrier and the drug collects in the
hair follicles from which it is slowly
released. Safety: Imidacloprid has a wide
margin of safety, but as with all other
pesticides, some pets may develop
sensitivity to the product.
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Frontline
(Arylheterocycles) Fipronil
is the most commonly used product in this
relatively new group of synthetic
insecticides, such as Frontline Top Spot.
Arylheterocycles block the passage of
chlorine through cells in the insect's
nervous system and this results in
paralysis. Fipronil is most commonly used as
a once-a-month topical insecticide on cats
and dogs to kill fleas and ticks. Fipronil
is generally mixed with an oil carrier and
the drug collects in the hair follicles from
which it is slowly released. Safety: As with
any pesticide, some animals may show a
temporary sensitivity where the product is
applied. Some animals may also develop more
severe sensitivities, and if so, a
veterinarian should be consulted.
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Ivormectin
for heartworm prevention
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Other meds
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Diluting Ivomec
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Next adventure of
Tyler
the Wonder Dog...
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