Just wondering if there is a cheap way to de-heartworm dogs, it makes no sense that dog hw is so much more expensive then horse…
Cheaper than $7.50/month? I don’t know but I’ll continue paying that for just a chewable that I toss to them and they gulp down!!
[QUOTE=bluedapple;6852423]
Just wondering if there is a cheap way to de-heartworm dogs, it makes no sense that dog hw is so much more expensive then horse…[/QUOTE]
Are you talking heartworm PREVENTION or heartworm treatment?
Heartworm treatment in dogs can vary in price depending on the risk of kill rate. Immiticide generally is going to give you a rapid kill rate, and its important for the dog to be under the care of a veterinary team for monitoring after administeration so the dying wormload doesnt clog the vessels. Often repeat treatments are required so the varying stages can all be killed. If wormload is small, slow kill ivermectins generally are recommended and are cheap just like horse de-wormers.
Immiticide treatments are thus more expensive than your basic heartworm prevention tablet/topical.
I have never experienced heartworm in a horse, but would assume it would take a LOT of worms for the potential for vessels to become blocked???
GI parasites are very different than the treatment of a positive heartworm animal.
I use ivermectin 0.08 solution. It’s meant for sheep. 30 bucks for a year’s supply (actually, more than a year’s supply - it always expires before I use up the bottle). Since I have four dogs, it’s worth it to me.
Prophylactic dosage in to prevent HW in dogs is 2.72 mcg/lb. 0.08 ivermectin is 0.0008 g/mL or 800 mcg/mL.
So for a 50 lb dog:
2.72 mcg/lb x 1 mL/800 mcg x 50 lbs = 0.17 mL
I usually round up and double the dosage to also take care of intestinal parasites (all except tapes). So my fifty pound dogs get about 4/10 cc.
You need a syringe that will measure 1/10 cc’s. I squirt the dosage over a little tuna.
Naturally, you should ask your vet before you do this. It’s an off-label use, and some breeds (rough collies, etc) have a genetic mutation that causes ivermectin sensitivity.
ETA: I just re-read your post. If you have a dog with an active HW infection, talk to your vet. S/he can let you know if the infection is mild enough to do the “slow-kill” method (just give prophylactic dosage till the adults die out) or if you need to opt for the very expensive immiticide treatment (which is also very hard on the dog).
[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;6852491]
I have never experienced heartworm in a horse, but would assume it would take a LOT of worms for the potential for vessels to become blocked???
.[/QUOTE]
I think what the OP meant to say was “Why is the paste ivermectin I give my horse so much cheaper than ivermectin canine HW preventative?”
Or maybe not.
But I thought I should chime in and say that you should NOT use the paste ivermectin formulated for horses as a canine HW preventative. You should only use the liquid ivermectin meant for sheep. I know some people who use the cattle ivermectin liquid, but it’s a 10% solution and I find it too hard to measure an accurate dose for dogs because the amount you’d give them is so tiny.
Definitely don’t use your horse’s paste wormer on your dog, though. Impossible to dose correctly. An overdose of ivermectin can be fatal. And don’t let your dog eat horse poo after you’ve wormed the horses with ivermectin either!
At least out here in the country, vets are happy to advise you about correct dosage of liquid ivermectin as a canine HW preventative. OP, give your vet a call and see what s/he says about it.
[QUOTE=pAin’t_Misbehavin’;6852500]
I use ivermectin 0.08 solution. It’s meant for sheep. 30 bucks for a year’s supply (actually, more than a year’s supply - it always expires before I use up the bottle). Since I have four dogs, it’s worth it to me.
Prophylactic dosage in to prevent HW in dogs is 2.72 mcg/lb. 0.08 ivermectin is 0.0008 g/mL or 800 mcg/mL.
So for a 50 lb dog:
2.72 mcg/lb x 1 mL/800 mcg x 50 lbs = 0.17 mL
I usually round up and double the dosage to also take care of intestinal parasites (all except tapes). So my fifty pound dogs get about 4/10 cc.
You need a syringe that will measure 1/10 cc’s. I squirt the dosage over a little tuna.
Naturally, you should ask your vet before you do this. It’s an off-label use, and some breeds (rough collies, etc) have a genetic mutation that causes ivermectin sensitivity.
ETA: I just re-read your post. If you have a dog with an active HW infection, talk to your vet. S/he can let you know if the infection is mild enough to do the “slow-kill” method (just give prophylactic dosage till the adults die out) or if you need to opt for the very expensive immiticide treatment (which is also very hard on the dog).[/QUOTE]
Yeah this is what I was thinking. I thought i overheard some girls at the tackshop discussing liquid heartworm preventative. I am looking for preventative. With three dogs it cost me $300 annually. Looking at the heart guard box it says it ivermectin, which got me thinking what a rip off for low dose ivermectin as compared to livestock paste wormer.
Thanks for the info
Oh I just noticed that my hw has pyrantel in it too
Heartworm medications also do various intestinal parasites
Keep in mind that ivermectin is really pretty toxic to dogs. If you do not understand the math behind the dosages pAin’t talks about, or how the concentration of the ivermectin solution comes into play, then it’s really best to pay the money for the preventative labeled for dogs.
Being off by a factor of 10 (which is only a very easy slip up with a decimal) can kill your dog right quick.
If you are comfortable with and have a good grasp of concentrations, micrograms vs milligrams vs grams and conversions, then by all means–go ahead. But if you’re shaky AT ALL on the math behind it, proceed with caution.
Pets Megastore in Australia is where I get my heartworm and quarterly all-worm meds. I buy their Valuheart products, about $25 for six months (depending on size of your dog.) Shipping usually takes less than a week, and they are a great company to deal with. http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/
if you have a small dog, buy the tablets for bigger dogs and split them. Saves alot of money if you have multiple dogs.
I use the liquid stuff at 1 cc per 100 pounds. My dogs weigh around 70lb each so get somewhere between 1/2 cc and 1 cc. I’m not exact and haven’t had a problem with overdosing.
One warning, some herding breed dogs can have a reaction to it. I believe it’s seen more often in collies and German Shepherds but could happen in any herding breed. There is a test to check for that so you will want to have that done before using ivermectin.
I give Safeguard horse wormer a couple times a year to make sure I get anything the ivermectin doesn’t.
If you have one of the dogs below, you need to be very careful with HW products. I wouldn’t chance a liquid Ivermectin product. There are generic, non-chewable HW meds. Just ask for them.
Breed Approximate Frequency
Australian Shepherd 50%
Australian Shepherd, Mini 50%
Border Collie < 5%
Collie 70 %
English Shepherd 15 %
German Shepherd 10 %
Herding Breed Cross 10 %
Long-haired Whippet 65 %
McNab 30 %
Mixed Breed 5 %
Old English Sheepdog 5 %
Shetland Sheepdog 15 %
Silken Windhound 30 %
Iverhart Plus is the generic HW med. At Drs. Foster & Smith they’re less than $5/pill for 51-100 lbs. They are chewable, just not a soft chew.
[QUOTE=dacasodivine;6853150]
I use the liquid stuff at 1 cc per 100 pounds. My dogs weigh around 70lb each so get somewhere between 1/2 cc and 1 cc. I’m not exact and haven’t had a problem with overdosing.
If you are using the liquid injectable meant for cattle, and giving it orally to dogs, you may be giving them way more than needed to prevent heartworm. If this is what you are giving, you may want to double check with your vet.
I use the cattle Ivomec injectable, but give it orally to my dogs, but I use significantly less than this to prevent heartworm. I have used a higher dose for other purposes.
“the liquid stuff” does vary in concentration, so your dosage may be correct, depending upon what exactly you are using.
[QUOTE=Guin;6852843]
Pets Megastore in Australia is where I get my heartworm and quarterly all-worm meds. I buy their Valuheart products, about $25 for six months (depending on size of your dog. Shipping usually takes less than a week, and they are a great company to deal with. http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/[/QUOTE]
Pets megastore looks like a great company, do you need a script. It’s so so cheap.
Great idea to cut in half the larger pills for smaller dogs. Every little bit helps in this economy
I wasn’t sure you could break up chewables, not like you could a solution/liquid where you know the medicine is evenly distributed.
I know a few people who do the ivermectin liquid for livestock. I have the directions and even bought the ivermectin (not the gylcol stuff to mix it with) and i let it expire before I even go the nerve to try it. So that didn’t save me any money, quite the opposite! I’m willing to try it in the future, but we get our meds from Australia as another poster mentioned, and it’s cheap enough that I don’t mind.
I would highly reccomend NOT breaking up the larger sizes for smaller dogs. Unless the tablets are scored they are not meant to be split, and the medication is likely not evenly distributed throughout the tablet. This means you may be overdosing one month and not giving enough to protect them the next.
Honestly if cost is that much of a concern, talk to your vet(even if it’s your large animal vet) about using the liquid, and diluting it if needed to make it more feasible. As long as the math is done correctly and you’re not dealing with an ivermectin sensitive breed it’s perfectly safe.
[QUOTE=bluedapple;6853977]
Pets megastore looks like a great company, do you need a script. It’s so so cheap.
Great idea to cut in half the larger pills for smaller dogs. Every little bit helps in this economy[/QUOTE]
No script required.I also order from there and very happy with products and service.
if your dog isn’t genetically sensitive to ivermectin,
[QUOTE=bluedapple;6853977]
Pets megastore looks like a great company, do you need a script. It’s so so cheap.
Great idea to cut in half the larger pills for smaller dogs. Every little bit helps in this economy[/QUOTE]
They don’t require an rx for heartworm and regular wormer meds. I have been very pleased with them and have used them for about 8-10 years now.
