Money saving flea and heartworm treatment

Tomboy Boots

Turkey Killer
Hopefully it's okay to put a link in my post... It is highly recommended to mix/dilute the 1% liquid ivermectin (noremectin) with food grade propylene glycol. Here is an article explaining how to make a 30:1 dilution for smaller dogs and a 9:1 dilution for larger dogs. It does mention not giving this to dogs that are taking spinosad, the active ingredient in Comfortis.

http://www.dogaware.com/health/ivomec.html

I personally would thoroughly research any medication/pesticide before giving it to my pets.
 

Tomboy Boots

Turkey Killer
A HUGE WARNING......You cannot use ivermectin on a Collie dog or Border Collie. It will kill them. Check with your Vet on that.

Also it's near impossible to get the correct dosage with the paste type wormer used for horses. It is a mixture and no 2 dosages will be the same. I've seen people do it, but I would not...go with the liquid, you can measure the proper dose.

Thank you for pointing this out! Another reason to diligently research before self medicating your pets.ivermectinwarning.JPG
 

Redbow

Senior Member
Hopefully it's okay to put a link in my post... It is highly recommended to mix/dilute the 1% liquid ivermectin (noremectin) with food grade propylene glycol. Here is an article explaining how to make a 30:1 dilution for smaller dogs and a 9:1 dilution for larger dogs. It does mention not giving this to dogs that are taking spinosad, the active ingredient in Comfortis.

http://www.dogaware.com/health/ivomec.html

I personally would thoroughly research any medication/pesticide before giving it to my pets.
Been giving my Dogs an 18-1 Ivermectin for 40 years or more. I mix 18 cc propylene glycol with 1cc Ivomec. Then administer 1cc of the mix for each 40 lbs of Dog weight, None of my Dogs have ever had heart worms with the dosage. My Vet said it was fine what I was doing. Also a Vet on the internet says mix it the same way...I keep the un-used mix in the refrigerator. U can use the 9-1 mixture just use half of the dosage I give my animals..Heartguard has Ivermectin..

Hope you are doing well Debbie, good to see u on the forum again. All the best to you and yours..
 

Hillbilly stalker

Senior Member
Here is a post from Veterinarian on the UKC forums. This might help some feel more comfortable about doing heartworm preventive themselves. It will save you a ton of money especially if you have multiple dogs



space.gif

ahallada
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Dec 2006
Location: California
Posts: 1860

Ideally you want to start heartworm prevention at 8 weeks of age. I use Heartgard Plus in young pups. It's about 1/20 th the concentration of Ivomec you would find in the Ivomec 1% at .1cc per 10#. A drop of Ivomec 1% would be between .01-.03ml depending on drop size. So it's pretty easy to overdose these little pups using straight Ivomec 1%.

If you diluted it down to 1cc Ivomec 1% in 9cc of Propylene Glycol then it is easier to dose small pups. I would use .1cc per pup of this diluted product until they reach 10#. Remember that the heartworm prevention dose is about 1/20th the dose used by most people who use the liquid 1% Ivomec at .1cc per 10#. Use Strongid or Panacur along with the Ivomec for broad spectrum deworming in these young pups.

Ivomec 1% at .1cc per 10# will prevent and treat Rounds, Hooks, Whips, and prevent Heartworms. It also kills Lice, Sarcoptic Mange, Ear Mites. It has also been used in the past to treat Demodex Mange although that is now being replaced with Bravecto. It's a good broad spectrum dewormer at a great price. It does not kill tapes and there are resistance issues with roundworms and heartworm.

The known resistant heartworm strain is in the Mississippi Delta Region. This is Heartgard Plus, Iverheart Plus and at the dose mentioned above at .1cc per 10# of the 1% Ivomec monthly. In this region there is resistance to many heartworm products including Revolution (Selemectin). I would use Ivermectin twice monthly in these areas or use Ivermectin on day 1, and use Milbemycin (Trifexis or Interceptor/ Interceptor Plus) on day 15, Ivermectin on Day 30, and Milbemycin on Day 45 for example. I'd also test for heartworm yearly in this area.

__________________
Dr. Allen Hallada (Doc Halladay)

Current:

PKC Ch. Gr.Nt.Ch. Cat Scratch Fever
(Gr.Nt.Ch. PKC Ch. Moonlight Aftershock x Gr.Nt.Ch. PKC Ch. Moonlight Outlaw Breanna)
2016 Finished to PKC Ch. in one week!

Dual Grand Champion CHKC Ch., PKC Gold Ch. All Grand Outlaw G-Man
(Gr.Nt.Ch.Glissens JJ Jr. x Gr.Nt.Ch. Outlaw Billy Jean)
4 Generations of All Grand Nite Champions!
Timber Jack 3X and Timber Chopper over 30X
2019 Southern National Redbone Days Champion
2016 National Grand Nite Champion Redbone
2016 CHKC Redbone Days Champion
2016 PKC Super Stakes Reserve Champion
2016 CHKC Elite Shootout Winner - Texas
CHKC All Time Money Winning Redbone

Bodacious
(Gr.Nt.Ch. Gr.Ch.PKC. Gold Ch.CHKC CH. Outlaw G-Man x Gr.Nt.Ch.Gr.Ch. CHKC Ch., PKC Gold Ch. Classy Cali)


Past:
Gr.Nt.Ch.Ch. Dawns Timber Jack
1988 American Redbone Days All Red Hunt Winner
1989 UKC World Champion Redbone
1989 Purina Outstanding Redbone Coonhound
#2 Historic Redbone Sire/ Top 20 All Breeds
American Redbone Coonhound Assoc. Hall of Fame

Gr.Nt.Ch. Bussrow Bottom Brandy II
1991 American Redbone Days Champion
1992 AKC World Champion Redbone
1992 ACHA World Champion Redbone
1992 Wisconsin State Champion
1994 US Redbone Days Opposite Sex
Produced 2 Nt. Ch. , 1 Gr.Nt.Ch. out of 2 litters and two Redbone Days Winners

Gr.Nt.Ch.Gr.Ch. PKC Gold Ch. Layton's Classy Cali
2012 UKC World Champion Redbone and 7th Place Overall
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 UKC World Champion Redbone Female
2015 PKC Blue Ribbon Pro Hunt Winner - Goodsprings, AL
2015 PKC Blue Ribbon Pro Series Race - 3rd Place Overall
2016 PKC Blue Ribbon Pro Hunt Winner - New Albany, MS
2016 PKC Texas State Race Winner
2016 PKC Redbone Breed Race Winner
PKC All Time Money Winning Redbone

PKC Ch. Gr.Nt.Ch. Coffman's Smokin Red Buck
2016 UKC World Hunt 5th Place and World Champion Redbone
2016 National Redbone Days Overall Winner

Gr.Nt.Ch. Reinhart's Central Page
(Gr.Nt.Ch. Timber Jack x Gr.Nt.Ch. Brandy II)

Gr.Nt.Ch. Too the Maxx
(Gr.Nt.Ch. Timber Jack x Gr.Nt.Ch. Jenkins Crying Katie)
1992 National Redbone Days Champion

Gr.Ch.Nt.Ch. Ambraw River Rock
(Gr.Nt.Ch. Timber Jack x Gr.Ch.Nt.Ch. Hersh's Huntin Red Kate)
1992 US Redbone Days Opposite Sex

Nt.Ch. Tree Bustin Annabelle
1986 American Redbone Days All Red Hunt Winner

Nt.Ch. Timber Mace
(Gr.Nt.Ch. Timber Jack X Nt.Ch. Tree Bustin Annabelle)
Mother of Gr.Nt.Ch. Babb's Hazel

Nt. Ch. Timber Shock
(Gr.Nt.Ch.Timber Jack x Gr.Nt.Ch. Outlaw Jessie)

Gr. Ch. Nt. Ch. Squaw Mountain Goldie
(Direct Daughter of Gr.Nt.Ch.Smokey Mountain Brandy)
1990 Autumn Oaks Best of Show Winner
1988 Indiana State Champion

Last
 

Joe Brandon

Senior Member
I used to get all my vaccines and Ivermectin from the feed store. Only thing I could never find was a rabies vaccination. the long and short of it is that I use the vet now. If a pet needs to be boarded or proof of vaccinations were ever needed my way wasn't going to cut it. Now I just spend the couple extra hundred a year and don't have to hear about it ever time we go to the vet. I also have two big dogs a lab mix and a German shepherd and both can be a bit aggressive at times so I wont proof that everything's in order if God forbid I should need it.
 

Hillbilly stalker

Senior Member
Some states, South Carolina included, require Vets to administer the rabies vaccine. Other shots keep the receipt and maintain your own records. There is a tear off tab on the packs when we buy ours. Keep it and date it.
 

Redbow

Senior Member
SC Vets used to charge one third of what NC Vets charge for a yearly check up for my Dogs. It was hard for me to believe when I moved back to NC just what the Vets here were charging to vaccinate Dogs...Anything the Vets here in NC did like draw blood to check for heartworms or any other procedure they charged 15 bucks per episode. In SC my Vet never did that. Shots and a yearly check up with my Vet in SC was $32 per Dog. Here in NC after we moved back to NC the Vet charged $90 plus the $15 for anything else he did for the Dog per procedure...
 

Ruger#3

RAMBLIN ADMIN
Staff member
If you need the rabies administered by a vet the TSC mobile vet is the cheapest I’ve found, once we get opened back up.
 

Redbow

Senior Member
They do have a free rabies clinic usually in late winter early spring here but I don't think many use it anymore like people did years ago...We always took our Dogs to get the free rabies vaccination decades ago...Many here do not even bother to get their Dogs vaccinated against rabies and that's unlawful but who goes around enforcing the law anymore on something like that?
 

Thunder Head

Gone but not forgotten
Another way to save money on heart worm.

Don't give it to them when the mosquito's are dormant. Best I could tell the really don't know what long term usage even does to your dog.

Here in north Ga.
I don't give my dogs heartworm starting in Nov. / Dec. thru March. Ive been doing this for about 20 years. Never had a dog test positive.
 

Redbow

Senior Member
Another way to save money on heart worm.

Don't give it to them when the mosquito's are dormant. Best I could tell the really don't know what long term usage even does to your dog.

Here in north Ga.
I don't give my dogs heartworm starting in Nov. / Dec. thru March. Ive been doing this for about 20 years. Never had a dog test positive.
Yes my Vet when we lived in SC told me not to give HW treatment to my Dogs during the winter months because mosquitoes were dormant then.. Never had one test positive for HW either. I have had Dogs live for 16 to right at 18 years without any ill effects from Ivermectin . Heartguard has Ivermectin for HW control...
 
I discovered that the active ingredient in the oral prescription med for fleas with the brand name Comfortis is actually a organic pesticide that is sprayed on certified organic food crops. So how could this stuff be sprayed in large quantities on crops but be so incredibly expensive in pill form? I found a garden spray on amazon which contains 0.5% spinosad as the active ingredient along with propylene glycol, which is a food additive approved by the FDA. 0.5% is very dilute. There is a shampoo approved for humans as young as 6 months for the treatment of lice that is nearly double the strength (0.9%) which costs $147! I bought the spray and fed it to my dogs. I looked up the dose for Comfortis; for my small dogs it is 270 mg. The garden spray contains 50 mg of spinosad in every 10 ml of liquid. I got a 5 ml oral syringe and gave my dogs 11 syringes full on their food and added some tasty broth to mask the taste. The spinosad smells like dirt. It is, in fact, made from soil, so that makes sense. Anyway, I spread the 11 syringes out over three meals and no more fleas. This $16 bottle will last for at least 6 months for my small dogs. I also have a great pyrenees and he needed a lot more- about a cup and a half. I spread that over 6 meals with no problem. Saved a ton of money, no vet. My next project is to figure out the dose of ivermectin to replace heartguard by using ivermectin horse paste, which is also available online with no prescription. One $7 tube treats a 1250 lb horse, so it may have to be diluted first, then divided. I will post the formula once I figure it out if anyone is interested.

Anyone else have any tips for beating the high cost of caring for pets? With this quarantine, I want to save every penny I can since who knows how long this will last.
I was looking into this with the spinosad but everyone seemed to frown on it. Some folks I know use in in blueberry production and have it in 2.5 gallon containers. I think the brand was Entrust (might have that wrong). Glad to know it worked for you.
As far as the other wormer the vet recommended liquid ivomec diluted like others have said. He definitely said don't use the paste because it's not consistent. One pea sized smear on the finger might be stronger than the next. Especially if it wasn't handled correctly before you get it.
 
My $0.02- be careful...
Active ingredient the same (??) ... but like most things it is the carriers, inerts, additives that can affect the mode of action. I have seen this with pesticides and herbicides....exact same active (possible variations in % of active) but it's the 'other' stuff that can control how, when and where the active is utilized. i would figure proper dosing amounts are highly variable and remember there are two or more organisms involved here..one you don't want to harm for sure and the other MOST importantly you don't want to make resistant or immune to the active ingredient. Indiscriminate use has reduced efficacy of a multitude of products!! Caveat emptor.
 

nmurph

Senior Member
I used the paste ivermectin for years with three large dogs and never had a problem. There's a pretty big efficacy window with dogs between what will keep heartworms out and what will harm a dog. About a year ago I discovered liquid Ivermectin. I use a diabetic syringe and squirt it straight into the dog's throat.
I'm going to have to look at the spinosid. treatment. I've used Comfortis for years and have always recoiled at the price. I have never taken the time to find a generic substitute.
 

caughtinarut

Senior Member
A HUGE WARNING......You cannot use ivermectin on a Collie dog or Border Collie. It will kill them. Check with your Vet on that.

I raise Border Collies for our farm use and this is good advice. You can have them tested to see if they carry the gene but I just play it safe. I did let the vet use some heartworm treatment (one dog had a slight positive) that had a small percentage of ivermectin but she assured me that it was below the level that is toxic for BCs.
 
Top