What Heartworm Preventative Do You Use?

[Guest SusanP]

I just noticed that I'm out of heartworm preventative, and I'm not ready to go back to or contact our vet after going through putting Wizard down on Friday---but my other 3 are due for heartworm preventative tomorrow. I can probably buy some at a vet close to our house, but I can't remember what I was using--I think it was Heartguard Plus. Is that one that is ok for greyhounds? Can I switch without problems if I was using something else? I don't want to get the wrong thing, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do about our vet. I'm still upset over how the euthanasia went and how the vet behaved and am feeling compeltely unable to deal with that office now. Not sure if it will pass or not. But I don't want to put off heartworm meds because of it.

[TheFullHouse]

Heart Guard is safe for greyhounds. I don't use it because of the cost so I use Ivomec which I can get anywhere on line or from our local Tractor Supply.

[BootsyCollins]

We use Revolution

[Batmom]

I use Interceptor. Our whippet used Heartgard. You can interchange them -- no problem there.

[fsugrad]

I am very sorry that you had a terrible experience with your vet at such a crucial time.

I've always used Heartgard once a month chewables.

If you order thru 1800PetMeds they can contact your vet and they confirm the prescription with the vet, and send you the heartworm meds in the mail. That way you wouldn't have to deal with your vet's office at all right now. Just a thought.

[Guest Grhndad]

Heart Guard Plus is good and a lot of folks use it. I have used Interceptor for the past 12+ years

[BertnLil]

Interceptor.

[PrairieProf]

My vet, who is very cutting-edge and prides himself on offering the most advanced medicine in the area, swears the new Advantage Multi (topical) is superior to anything else on the market (especially in how well it gets other worms--whips I think--maybe not specifically in heartworm protection per se). I have checked on greyhound sites and it is definitely approved for greyhounds. Using a topical is much nastier than a pill but I don't want less than the best for my dog so I go with his recommendation. Before that, he prescribed Sentinel.

 

Scroll down to the bottom here for an approved list for greyhounds: http://grassmereanimalhospital.com/other_greyhound_things.htm

Edited June 9, 2010 by PrairieProf

[Guest FreddyGirl]

Sentinel

[KF_in_Georgia]

My guys use Interceptor.

 

But I agree with others: contact any of the on-line vet-meds folks. They'll contact your vet for authorization (which should not be a problem as long as the dogs have had a heartworm test within the last year). You shouldn't need to talk to your vet at all.

[Greys4Us]

I don't know if this will be helpful or not but it does provide some good info:

LINK

[Guest eaglflyt]

We used to use Heartgard Plus until our elderly Dachsie came up with Whips. Now everyone is on Interceptor.

[Guest SusanP]

Thanks, Everyone. I'll see if the clinic near our house will sell me some even tho I'm not a patient there. I need it tomorrow, so ordering it isn't a good option. DH will probably pick up Wizard's ashes on Saturday, but I'd rather not put off the heartworm thing til then. My feelings are just so complicated right now.

[Hubcitypam]

Thanks, Everyone. I'll see if the clinic near our house will sell me some even tho I'm not a patient there. I need it tomorrow, so ordering it isn't a good option. DH will probably pick up Wizard's ashes on Saturday, but I'd rather not put off the heartworm thing til then. My feelings are just so complicated right now.

They probably won't sell it to you unless they have proof of negative heartworm test. It is really good for 45 days so you still have time to order if you can get a script from the vet you don't trust) or you can just order Ivermectin plus wormer from Australia without a perscription.

 

[Guest kellybrown]

Intercepter

[Guest SusanP]

DH said he can get Wizard's ashes tomorrow and pick up the heartworm meds then. He'll just come home early from work. I really have to figure out what I'm going to do about this vet. After reading some of the posts in the thread on euthanasia, I think I understand better why the vet did what she did, though I wish she'd been more honest with me ahead of time, because I think we could have arrived at a better solution if she had. I was also put off by her behavior--really rushing ahead before we were ready (DH did *not* want to be in the room, and he was still trying to get out the door when she jabbed poor Wizard with the needle, despite my warning her to wait. And she never once expressed her condolences or said much of anything afterward. In fact, I think she just sort of disappeared afterward and left the assistant to deal with us. I need to figure out how I feel about using this vet before one of my other guys needs an appt! But at least I can stock up on heartworm meds and tick preventative for our vacation.

[Guest eaglflyt]

I get most of our flea/tick meds and used to get all our heartworm meds here: Joe's Pet Meds No prescription necessary.

 

Great prices and good service. Meds always arrive in about a week, or less.

Edited June 9, 2010 by eaglflyt

[CaliforniaGreys]

We're going to our first vet visit next week and the dogs will be tested and go on heartworm for the first time so it's good to know what others are using

[Guest TeddysMom]

I use Ivermectin. What I really dislike about the prepackaged heartworm preventatives is the dosage. They are for a large range of weights. Like Interceptor is for 50# to 110#, if I have a 55# dog then I am giving them 2 times the dosage of the heartworm medicine they need. With the Ivermec, I can pull up in a syringe exactly what each of my dogs need and no more. A 10# dog gets 1/10th of a cc, 60# dog gets 6/10th of a cc and so forth. I don't know why it would be so difficult for companies to provide a more precise weight dosage, I got irritated so I checked with my vet and went to the Ivermec more than 10 years ago. When we moved here, I told the vet what I do and she said that was fine. It is in the dogs vet records now.

[Hubcitypam]

A well known greyhound vet and my own vet both told me a greyhound could basically eat all the heartgard it could stand in and not suffer any ill effects from the Ivermectin. The dose is so tiny that is why there is a wide weight range.

[Guest TeddysMom]

A well known greyhound vet and my own vet both told me a greyhound could basically eat all the heartgard it could stand in and not suffer any ill effects from the Ivermectin. The dose is so tiny that is why there is a wide weight range.

 

I must say that I really disagree with the vets you cite. I have seen a 50# boxer that ate a 6 pack of heartgard and was in ICU for 4 days with uncontrolable vomitting, heard tremors, seizures and irregular heartbeats. He lived but was a seizure dog for the rest of his life. Ivermectin can and will cause all sorts of problems if they are given too much.

 

http://worldvillage.com/how-to-tell-the-signs-of-an-overdose-of-heartgard

 

Even the heartgard website warns of what to look for in an overdose. I feel it is pretty irresponsible for a vet to tell someone that a dog can eat all the Heartgard it wants and not have a problem.

[Guest BooBooMama]

I used Heartguard Plus for years. Just recently I changed to Interceptor. The only reason why I changed was because my vet felt the added whipworm preventative might be a good thing. Both are greyhound safe.

[Guest BooBooMama]

I don't know if this will be helpful or not but it does provide some good info:

LINK

 

This is such a great link. We should have this "Pinned".

[Guest EmilyandSioux]

I use Ivermectin. It is the active ingredient in HG and it covers all the worms and is so cheap and you don't have to do the once a year test if you are on time and don't miss any doses. I give it to them with a little canned food once a month and they never know the difference. And I will never tell them it's medicine either. I would have a rebellion on my hands.

[Guest Energy11]

We use Iverheart Max, as it covers tapeworms, too! We just got back from Gatlinburg this afternoon, and tomorrow is their day for their HW preventative.