Heart Worm Prevention

[LisaCC]

This is probably done to death but I'm a little lost.

I've never done heart worm prevention before, with Sam we lived in a cold climate and every vet told us not to bother and we never had a problem. We also just got his worming tablets from the vet.

Now I'm in a hotter place and Nova needs his stuff next week.

Following breeder instructions and recommendations I have already intestinal wormed Nova with Drontal puppy syrup stuff (the pink one), and we have some left for next go round, and breeder has recommended any tablet that just does heart worm and for after syrup any intestinal wormer as well

There is a lot of those! Are some better than others? Any recommendations.

Also for future worming would you suggest using two different products or go for one of the combined ones like Interceptor? When he is older heart worm is every month but intestinal is every 3, so giving the combined every month just seems like a lot of unnecessary intestinal worming to me.

Also tell me if I'm wrong but from reading about some, it seems that most brands are fine to use on collie breeds at the correct dose.

EDITED to add: Of course I have asked the breeder what she used on her adults but she uses diluted vet stuff that I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to figure out.

Obligatory puppy pic included.

Edited July 22, 2013 by LisaCC

[minimax]

What flea stuff do you use, and does it cover worms? As we use Advantix for ticks it doesn't cover worms, so we use Interceptor Spectrum usually every 6 weeks.

[julesluvscavs]

Miah gets Revolution monthly which is just for fleas and heartworm. She also get a allwormer tablet every 3 months.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs

[Salukifan]

Avoid anything with Ivermectin - that's what the collie breeds may be sensitive to.

I use Drontal every three months for intestinal worms and Proheart montly from Sep to March for heartworm. I don't give a flea prevention treatment.

Check the Pro-heart active ingedient but from memory I can't recall there being any ivermectin in it. I think Revolution contains it though.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Haredown Whippets

[LisaCC]

Like HW I don't do flea prevention. No ticks here either.

[aliwake]

We use advocate monthly, which covers everything except tapeworm (and ticks). Once he's grown I want to use panoramis, which is the same deal in tablet form - it's just hard when you can only buy a pack of 6, and you have a growing pup that won't stay in any weight range for long...

we use popantel for additional allworming (which is relatively frequent at the moment given the amount of possum poo that gets consumed in our yard...)

Edited July 22, 2013 by aliwake

[Rebanne]

I use a monthly tablet for heartworm only but the brand I use has Ivermectin. I do intestinal worming seperately and any flea stuff on a different day again. I also do not start giving heartworm prevention until the pup is at least 5 months old.

[Salukifan]

Proheart is OK! :)

Proheart Heartworm Treatment Tablets

Proheart for dogs is a tablet used for the prevention of heartworm disease. Proheart Tablets contain the active ingredient Moxidectin (not ivermectin) and are given once a month for the prevention of heartworm disease caused by the parasitic worm Dirofilaria Immitis in dogs. Proheart eliminates the heartworm larvae that infect the dog during the previous month. Heartworm is spread by infected mosquitoes. Treatment for Heartworm disease is serious not only expensive and the disease can cause death.

[LisaCC]

Thanks HW! :)

I think I might get him MDR1 tested just so I know if I need to worry or not when it comes to the bigger things.

[Salukifan]

Thanks HW! :)

I think I might get him MDR1 tested just so I know if I need to worry or not when it comes to the bigger things.

I'd probably go that way too. At least then you know for sure.

[blakkjackal]

I don't give heartworm preventatives every month -- IMO that's way overkill. It's not actually a "preventative" at all, the drug is designed to kill possible larvae and cannot prevent them from settling in. I give a tablet/chew once every three months as this is often enough to target possible growing worms. I believe we over-medicate our animals these days and the whole heartworm business has crazy amounts of money involved.

If you do decide to give it monthly though at least you can stop the treatment during winter (depending on where you live). For heartworm to develop it needs temperatures of over 27 degrees for several days in a row (although I think microfilariae can be ingested in lower temperatures than this, just means they cannot develop any further).

Here's a good read.

Edited to add link.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Hockz

[CrazyCresties]

I use Milbemax, I don't think it's as well known over here, but I used it in the UK as always had less of a reaction from it than drontal which would cause my grey to vomit.

It covers intestinal worms and heartworm if used on a monthly basis.

http://ah.novartis.com.au/pethealth_products/milbemax_dog.html/section/469

Milbemax for dogs is a broad spectrum intestinal wormer. If given monthly, it also offers prevention against heartworm.

Milbemax for dogs protects against roundworm (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina), hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma braziliense), whipworm (Trichuris vulpis) and tapeworm (Dipylidum caninum, Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia spp).

If given monthly, Milbemax protects dogs against all of the above, as well as heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis).

Edited July 22, 2013 by CrazyCresties

[dancinbcs]

I use Milbemax, I don't think it's as well known over here, but I used it in the UK as always had less of a reaction from it than drontal which would cause my grey to vomit.

It covers intestinal worms and heartworm if used on a monthly basis.

http://ah.novartis.com.au/pethealth_products/milbemax_dog.html/section/469

Milbemax for dogs is a broad spectrum intestinal wormer. If given monthly, it also offers prevention against heartworm.

Milbemax for dogs protects against roundworm (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina), hookworm (Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma braziliense), whipworm (Trichuris vulpis) and tapeworm (Dipylidum caninum, Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia spp).

If given monthly, Milbemax protects dogs against all of the above, as well as heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis).

I too use Milbemax and it is exactly the same stuff in a tablet as Interceptor Spectrum chews that my dogs detest. I use the Milbemax every 6 weeks.

[teekay]

Ive just changed over from Interceptor Spectrum to Milbemax for two reasons.

One, they're tablets rather than those chewy things. Mya would never eat those and disguising something that big in cheese isn't easy :)

Two, there is slightly more of the heartworm active ingredient and as Jenna is 23-24kgs she is slightly over the upper weight limit if one interceptor spectrum pill.

Not an issue for Nova atm, but worth bearing in mind when she gets bigger

:)

I also dose 6 weekly but I believe every 60 days is also safe. Packet instructions state that if it is under 60 days since the last dose just treat as normal.

I still haven't got round to getting Luka MDR1 tested. I really should do it for peace of mind.

[LisaCC]

Thanks Teekay, Luka doesn't have any problems with the Milbermax? I think I'll go with what HW suggested anyway :)

Plus Nova is a boy (It's a unisex name I checked)! He very much likes to show that fact off to the world when he is sleeping

I think I'll get order the test kit, and get it done at at his next injection.

[Blakbelgian]

we were on Proheart tablets and sourced from Ebay sellers as most Pet wharehouses were not stocking it any more.

Some sellers had trouble sourcing stock occassionally too.

We moved our lot over to the PANORAMIS tablets, which cover EVERYTHINIG but ticks.

BB

[teekay]

Thanks Teekay, Luka doesn't have any problems with the Milbermax? I think I'll go with what HW suggested anyway :)

Plus Nova is a boy (It's a unisex name I checked)! He very much likes to show that fact off to the world when he is sleeping

I think I'll get order the test kit, and get it done at at his next injection.

There is a wealth of information on the internet about MDR 1 sensitivity and lists of drugs to avoid but some of it is a little conflicting.

Some say don't use moxidectin, some say it is fine. Some, I have just found, say milbemycin can be a problem but not in the doses used in heatworm tablets. I certainly haven't had any problems with Luka so far.

It's a bit confusing. I would say do your own research and use what you are happy with.

Researching it today made me realise I must get my arse in gear and get that test done. I've had the test pack for ages just haven't got round to it. This is where we got the pack from if you want to have a look

Linky http://www.animalnetwork.com.au/

Sorry Nova, You're just so pretty, I just assumed you were a girl :D

[LisaCC]

Thanks Teekay. Ive got a copy of his dads MDR1 certificate and it says it was done by AnimalNetwork too so I think I'll get it from them.

I've heard of Carriers having problems with surgeries so I'll get it done ASAP. You never know what might happen.

Thanks everyone else and special thanks to Haredown Whippets, I got some Proheart today :)

[Dame Aussie]

I use sentinel spectrum if we've seen fleas and interceptor if not for my Aussie. Just be careful because it isn't only ivermectin which is a problem.

This is a good site with a list of drugs and I believe Gribbles do the test :)

www.busteralert.org/

[moosepup]

Interceptor every 2 months. I don't do fleas. :)