Options for purchasing Heartworm medication

[lightlee]

Hello all,
Looking for recommendations where I can purchase Heartworm medication and save money. Currently, I have two dogs, one is 5 pounds and the other is 65. Both dogs are on Sentinel Spectrum which cost me about $300 for both dogs annually not including annual testing.

My vet used to carry Heartguard but he discontinued carrying this product. Heartguard was significantly cheaper but does not include a flea control preventative.

Anyone have any recommendations as to where I can purchase Heartworm and save money? Thanks!!

[Horsegal984]

SmartPak, Drs Foster and Smith.

Avoid 1-800 PetMeds, they’ve had far too many problems to feel confidant about ordering something so important from them.

[AKB]

Depending on where you live, you may not need flea protection in the winter. Talk with your vet about using ivermectin 1 % liquid from Tractor Supply or KV Vet (made for injection into cattle; be sure to get plain 1% ivermectin that is not mixed with anything else). You might be able to use ivermectin orally when you don’t need flea protection. Just be very sure you dose it correctly, using a 1ml syringe. Get the vet to write instructions down for you. I have never done this but have talked with people who have a lot of dogs and use this form of ivermectin.

[LauraKY]

Do NOT use liquid ivermectin on very small dogs or on herding breeds.

Regular Sentinel covers everything that Sentinel Spectrum does except for tapeworm and it’s a little bit less expensive.

I prefer to buy my meds from my vet, he’s so inexpensive for office visits and emergencies that I like to give him a little extra profit.

[Guin]

I have purchased ValuHeart from Pets Megastore, Australia, for going on 18 years and my dogs have tested negative for heartworm their entire lives. (Everyone who has gone ballistic on me before for “not buying it from a vet” can hold your comments, thankyouverymuch.)

http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/valuheart-c-165_160_181.html

[Jaegermonster]

Ditto the liquid ivermectin. A $40 bottle can last you over a year for two dogs. Get the dosage from your vet. They dont like it because they lose $$ on products but it is what it is.

[Horsegal984]

OP’s dog is 5lbs. Far too small to safely and accurately dose liquid ivermectin without a good dilution. The heartworm preventative dose is 0.006mg per kg. The OP’s dog is about 2kg which means it needs 0.0015mL of the 1% solution. Seeing as how there is no syringe that will dose that small of an amount the OP will either overdosing every month (at the very least a 10x overdose!) or needs to figure out a safer way to dose it.

[wendy]

I’ve been using valuheart for years too and it’s so much cheaper than anything your vet will try to sell you (and much easier than trying to dose dogs with cattle medications).
I don’t see why a vet has to write a scrip for this kind of medication either. Does your vet write you a scrip for ivermectin for your horse? of course not. As far as I know the US is the only country that requires a vet’s scrip for heartworm preventatives.

[gypsymare]

[QUOTE=Horsegal984;7839094]
OP’s dog is 5lbs. Far too small to safely and accurately dose liquid ivermectin without a good dilution. The heartworm preventative dose is 0.006mg per kg. The OP’s dog is about 2kg which means it needs 0.0015mL of the 1% solution. Seeing as how there is no syringe that will dose that small of an amount the OP will either overdosing every month (at the very least a 10x overdose!) or needs to figure out a safer way to dose it.[/QUOTE]

You can easily dilute it with glycerin.

[Anne_FS]

Agree you should stay away from 1800 PetMeds.

I use PetCareRx and their service is great, but has anybody noticed that you no longer “really” need a Rx?

Used to be when I ordered prescription-only items, they would phone my vet’s office to get approval. Now they don’t do that anymore, they have their own vets who just rubber-stamp approve everything. So you could call up and order something totally not good for your pet and they’ll send it to you, but hey, your own vets are rip-offs and only in it for the money, right?

[mommy_peanut]

For those using the ValuHeart, the same site has the VetaHeart currently on sale in the LG size(didn’t check other sizes).
[URL=“http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/vetahearttabslgedogs6pack-p-1133.html”]
http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/vetahearttabslgedogs6pack-p-1133.html

[SouthernYankee]

I buy from Drs. Foster & Smith, it’s the cheapest that I’ve found anywhere.

[gloriginger]

[QUOTE=LauraKY;7837243]
Do NOT use liquid ivermectin on very small dogs or on herding breeds. [/QUOTE]

Not an entirely true statement. I had to use liquid Ivermectin on my Aussie/ACD mix when she rolled in hay that a mangy fox had been sleeping in…Did the test, she was n/n for MDR1. I think anyone with these breeds should do the test anyway, as there are lots of things other than Ivermectin that can be a very serious threat. I think its about $70, and it could save your dog’s life.

[Field_of_Dreams_Mini]

http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.ca/2008/05/billion-dollar-heartworm-scam.html?m=1

Some nice info in there on how to use bulk ivermectin.

[Horsegal984]

[QUOTE=Field of Dreams Mini Horses;7839627]
http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.ca/2008/05/billion-dollar-heartworm-scam.html?m=1

Some nice info in there on how to use bulk ivermectin.[/QUOTE]

I had to quit reading when they suggested splitting the Heartgard tablets in half. We’ve already had quite the discussion about why that’s not safe to do.

There’s a lot on that website that’s not correct, but it’s not much more than a breeders website and those are always full of laughs.

[Horsegal984]

[QUOTE=gypsymare;7839556]
You can easily dilute it with glycerin.[/QUOTE]

I’m not against using liquid ivermectin (actually use it for mine most of the time) but there’s a lot of risk for a dog that small. If it’s not mixed well, or the math is done wrong, etc. I just believe with the cheaper options available that are easier and safer that liquid ivomec isn’t the best option for the OP.

[MunchingonHay]

I use sentinal on my 65lb’er. I purchase it from Dr. Foster and Smith because there are no vets in my area that carry it, they all carry Trifectix and I can’t give Riley that. (there was a thread devoted to it somewhere). I called every vet in a 10 mile radius and no one had it.

[LauraKY]

[QUOTE=gloriginger;7839591]
Not an entirely true statement. I had to use liquid Ivermectin on my Aussie/ACD mix when she rolled in hay that a mangy fox had been sleeping in…Did the test, she was n/n for MDR1. I think anyone with these breeds should do the test anyway, as there are lots of things other than Ivermectin that can be a very serious threat. I think its about $70, and it could save your dog’s life.[/QUOTE]

Of course, if testing and negative for MDR1, then ivermectin is fine. Actually, the ivermectin HW pills are fine also (and it says so on the Washington State website).

The liquid though? Too easy to make a mistake regardless.

[LauraKY]

Iverheart is a cheaper option. It covers roundworms, heartworms and tapeworms, but not hooks and whips.

For your larger dog, it’s at Allivet for $24.99 for a 6 month supply. For the small dog, it’s $18.99 for six months.

[lightlee]

My vet discontinued carrying Iverheart due to perceived quality issues with the product. I was disappointed as it was significantly cheaper.

Horsegal - why is it unsafe to break Heartguard pills in half?

Also I have two dogs - one is 65 pounds and the other is 5 pounds. I would be hesitant to give my small liquid ivermectin because she is so small. However, my bigger dog I don’t see why not.

Don’t understand why I purchase wormer medication without a prescription for my horse but not my dogs.