The American Beagler Forum

i know this has been posted about a billion and one times but im gonna ask again. i ran out of heartworm pills(interceptor) for my dog and have been extremely busy with highschool soccer. but its winding down and i finally got some ivomec. i have skipped a month of heartworm treatment for one of my dogs and was wondering if it would be ok to give this dog the ivomec even though i have skipped a month and im switching meds on him. my vet said that it takes 6 months for a heartworm to develop or show up in a test. i dont think it would do him any harm by giving it to him but im relatively new at this and just want to make sure its ok. whats everyone's opinion on this? keith

1/10 th of a cc ,,,per 10 pounds of body weight,,,

thanks jeff...do you think i should take them in to get them tested for heartworms. ive read that ivomec may mess the dogs up if the already have heartworms but i have only skipped a month (on accident) so should i get them tested or not? keith

i think they will be ok ,,like you said it takes awhile for them to start but if you feel more sucure id call they vet and tell him what your doing and see what his thoughts are,,,,,,,,

u'll be fine keith

Your OK!!!!

Keith,
The reason behind having a dog tested before treatment is, if the dog has adult heartworm and you treat it with Ivermectin, it will kill the worm and it can dislodge from the heart and can travel into the arteries. This can cause circulatory system problems by "clogging" or blocking arteries. When a dog "has" heartworm, the treatment is basically killing the worm and dissolving it over time. That is why they require the dog be sedentary (no activity) during treatment.
By missing just one month, I would think you would be ok, as any exposure has been of a time length that would not provide for developement of an adult heartworm. If in doubt, get the dog tested.

Renee'

1/10 of a cc., per 10 lbs of dog for the ivermec, if the dog weighs in at 27 lbs would you give it a 30 lb dose or a 20 lb dose?

I give 1/10 cc to all dogs, all sizes. My 40 lb Brittnay is 12 and never had heatworms and has been given 1/10 cc for her entire life. I don't think you can under medicate but you sure CAN over medicate with Ivomec.

Is ivomec given orally or with a needle? and why not just give the dogs heartworm pills? what are some of the benefits of ivomec? Sorry but i'm new to all this.

I give the ivomec under the skin with a needle. I give each of my dogs a whole cc of ivomec when I give the shot. I give each dog a shot ever 4 months.

HatterasBob wrote:I give 1/10 cc to all dogs, all sizes. My 40 lb Brittnay is 12 and never had heatworms and has been given 1/10 cc for her entire life. I don't think you can under medicate but you sure CAN over medicate with Ivomec.

I give the same dosage here...its a few little drops on a piece of bread per doggie.

ridgerunner wrote:Is ivomec given orally or with a needle? and why not just give the dogs heartworm pills? what are some of the benefits of ivomec? Sorry but i'm new to all this.

ivomec is ALOT cheaper. i was giving the heartworm pill(interceptor) and it was expensive. this is my first time using ivomec. havent givin it to the dogs yet but plan to as soon as i get some more time to get some syringes....keith

ridgerunner wrote:Is ivomec given orally or with a needle? and why not just give the dogs heartworm pills? what are some of the benefits of ivomec? Sorry but i'm new to all this.

Ivomec is the way to go if you have multiple dogs. I just use a 1CC syringe (they are tiny) and fill up to the 1/10th mark and then squirt it out (through the needle which you must use to get it out of the bottle) onto a little piece of bread per hound and treat the beagles.

If your using Ivomic as a heatworm "only" preventive the dose is 1/10cc
per hound reguardless of weight. Dosage if your using for other type worms might be 1/10cc per 10lb ,but not according to my vet. I only use it for heartworm preventive.I use Safe-Guard Liquid for everything else.