# heartworm medication



## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

I used Heartgard last year for the dogs but my new vet recommends Intercept.I got it for Athena but haven't for Lexi yet.What have people's experiences been with both.I like the idea that Intercept takes care of more worms than Heartgard but what are others opinions.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I use plain Heartgard, no dewormer. I don't think a dog needs to be dewormed monthly.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

Am I looking at it the wrong way?I don't look at it as deworming just preventing.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

My cavalier's on heartgard and has been his whole life. It works great and never had any issues.

My GSD's on interceptor and has been her whole life. Also, no complaints and never any issues.

Both work great for my dogs.


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

We laways used Tri-Heart...dont know the difference, I just know that it has always kept my dogs heartworm free and since that is what I want it to do I keep using it.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

I've been using Interceptor since it came out. 5 adult dogs and no problems so far.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

It's a bit confusing because they are advertised as preventatives but while they prevent your dog from contracting heartworm disease what they are actually doing is killing any heartworm larvae they may already have in their system. The medication works 45 days _backwards_. Therefore, I give my dogs their heartworm medication every 45 days. I start their medication 45 days after the temperature is about 50 degrees _at all times_. Technically they say 57 degrees but I don't want to take chances so I am conservative on that end. 

Here is an excellent detailed explanation:

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/heartworm/

Heartgard Plus, Ivermectin and the others all have additional dewormers that kills other types of worms they might have like roundworm and whipworm. Since my dogs (Chama, to be exact, b/c she is a poop eater) have only once tested positive for other worms I do not use the products with additional dewormers. Instead I take in a stool samply yearly and have it checked for parasites. If they have them, I treat them for those specific worms. That way I am not given them unnecessary medications. 

For those of you who don't know me, I'm one of those all natural types.







Unlike many people who treat their animals holistically, I do use heartworm preventative. However, since it is poison, I use it as infrequently as is still effective in killing the heartworm larvae. That means that I give 3, and occassionally 4 (depending on the weather), doses a year. I also test my dogs yearly for heartworm, instead of every 3 years like some people do.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

I guess I just looked at it differently.I only give in the summer months too.I start in May and go till Oct or Nov depending on the weather.I also test every Spring just in case.So what about the worms that only shed there eggs every 2 weeks or so?I guess I am paranoid since the new vet said all Athena poop problems could be a worm the tests aren't picking up.He also told me that the beavers carry one of the worms and we live across the street from a river and when she goes swimming she drinks the water no matter what I do.
So are you saying it is only necessary every 45 days not 30?That works for me if it works.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

I use Interceptor and 1/5 the dose so that it's not at the level of a dewormer, as I also don't think that dogs should be regularly de-wormed, and the lower dose treats just the heartworms. I know that Heartgard need only be given every 45 days, I don't know about Interceptor -- I think they attack the heartworm at different stages, L-whatevers, but I don't know the details.

If you really think that Allie has worms, then I would properly deworm her with something like panacur/safeguard, 3 days each, at 2 or 3 week intervals (I don't know the optimal timing offhand).


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I don't know anything about beavers and worms. And I'm definitely not an expert in parasites, although I will say that vets who don't know gsds and their notorious digestive problems often use parasites as an excuse. If you are comfortable with the extra dewormer then use it. If it is worms causing Allie's problems then you will know pretty quickly if you switch to the new heartworm medication and her problems stop, right? Alternately, you could deworm her in two cycles. That's what I did with Chama and it took care of the problem. 

It was a vet who told me about the 45 days. I have since confirmed this with 2 more vets and the article I posted also confirms it. As always, it's your decision. I just think it's important to fully understand the heartworm cycle and infection process, as well as to understand what is in these medications and how they work.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

The vet didn't say I may have worm but my dog may..







I guess you misread the name..She has just finished a course of the Panacur and had a dose of the Interceptor.Will that be enough or should I do the Panacur again in a few weeks or with the HW med she would be overdosing?


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Oops, sorry. 

With a confirmed case of worms they advise you do two courses, one month apart. With an uncomfirmed case then I wouldn't think you would need two or a monthly deworming. It seems to me that all of that dewormer could just cause more digestive upsets and who knows what else in the long term. But then I'm paranoid about all of this stuff that vet's advise people to put in and on their dogs.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

She has had 2 stool sample test I think and neither have showed any worms.It is possible they just hadn't shed eggs when tested though.I'll leave it be unless the problem continues and the vet suggests it again.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: AllieG.She has just finished a course of the Panacur and had a dose of the Interceptor.Will that be enough or should I do the Panacur again in a few weeks or with the HW med she would be overdosing?


If you really think there were worms, I would do a second round of Panacur.

Personally, I'm not at all convinced that the dewormer in Interceptor is all that effective - it would have to be pretty effective to de-worm with just one dose?


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

*Re: heartworm medication/allergies*

Allergies to HW meds?

So, if Indy is allergic to corn, and Max is allergic to pork, does this say that they shouldn't be on the flavored Interceptor that I just bought a years worth of?


*The Clinical and Immunological Reaction to a Flavoured Monthly Oral Heartworm Prophylatic in 12 Dogs with Spontaneous Food Allergy
By: H. A Jackson ; B Hammerberg ; B Hammerberg
Format: Article Peer Reviewed
Year: 2002
Published in: Veterinary Dermatology Aug2002, Vol. 13 Issue 4, p211-229 19p 09594493*

Summary
There is debate among practicing veterinary dermatologists as to whether flavoured prophylactics should be avoided in the food-allergic dog. At North Carolina State University we have a colony of dogs with spontaneous food allergy. They are maintained on a hypoallergenic diet (Prescription diet d/d Duck and Rice, Hills Pet Nutrition, Topeka, KS). A flavoured chewable tablet containing pork liver, soy and 2.3 mg of milbemycin (Interceptor Flavor Tabs, Novartis Animal Health, Greensboro, NC) was administered under controlled conditions to 12 dogs. Previous exposure to this medication was documented. A physical examination was performed prior to, and on four occasions after, tablet administration. A clinical score (CS) was assigned to determine the severity of skin and otic disease. Serum was collected at 3- to 5-day intervals. Allergen-specific IgE (soy, pork and corn) was measured by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software (Cary, NC, USA) and a longitudinal mixed ^model was employed for the evaluation of the clinical response. An increased CS was observed in 10 dogs post-challenge; peak values were measured on day 2 (five dogs) and day 5 (five dogs). When compared with pre-treatment CS this increase was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Significant peaks in serum allergen-specific IgE were measured on days 5 and 20 to soy, pork and corn. The authors conclude that these dogs have a rapid adverse clinical response to this flavoured medication which is accompanied by a significant increase in serum allergen-specific IgE, although this does not necessarily correlate with the orally administered allergen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]tablet administration. A clinical score (CS) was assigned to determine the severity of skin and otic disease. Serum was collected at 3- to 5-day intervals. Allergen-specific IgE (soy, pork and corn) was measured by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS software (Cary, NC, USA) and a longitudinal mixed


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## LJsMom (Jan 6, 2008)

*Re: heartworm medication/allergies*

LJ allergic to soy...

I have been going nuts trying to figure out what I fed LJ that triggered an allergic reaction! I even accused DH and DS of feeding her something from the no-no list.

Is the only alternative a daily hw pill?


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

*Re: heartworm medication/allergies*

I believe that heartguard has an unflavored pill.


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