[firemediceric]

I have heard of many using 1% injectable ivormectin for cattle as a heartworm prevenitive for dogs. Googling the topic brings up a fair amount of information, but there seems to be some debate regarding the dose and whether or not to dilute the ivermectin.

Does anyone here have any first hand insight to offer?

 

[LMJD]

Give your local vet a call. More than one vet has told me Ivermectin can actually be deadly to dogs. They also say it's the most dangerous with Collie breeds, figure that one out? If I recall, isn't the heartworm medication cheap or cheaper that Ivermectin?

Personally, I'd be especially afraid of the injectable. When Ivermectin was fairly new, vets and owners were using it on horses and they had a significant number of horses have a bad reaction at the injection site or worse. However, as you probably know, no problem with the Ivermectin horse paste wormer.

 

[dcbowe]

I have been using it on my dogs for years, pure bread golden retievers.
I buy it at a feed store for $38 and it last for about 3 years. I can't even get one shot for one dog that cheap. I treat 3 dogs and pigs with the same stuff and had mine checked for worms last year nada. A friend who raises and tains hunting dogs treats all his dogs too. He told me the only time you got to worry is when you get a dog that has heartworm problems it could hurt the dog but the vets treatment will do the same. I belive it hurts them from killing the adult worms could cause a clot or stoppage. The dead worms causes the problem not the medicine.

 

[LC]

"He told me the only time you got to worry is when you get a dog that has heartworm problems it could hurt the dog but the vets treatment will do the same".

This why your Vet will test for Heart Worm before dispensing preventative medicine. If Heart Worms are present they will nor prescribe preventative medicine.

 

[fieldtrialer]

Use the 1% solution. Do not use ivermectin plus. Have your dog checked first. A lot of people cut it with propylene glycol which has the same viscosity. If you cut it mix 1 part ivermect to 9 parts propylene glycol with this solution dose at rate of 1cc per 11 lbs of dog. This will prevent worms except tape and also controls fleas. If you wish to just prevent heartworm you can dose this solution at a 25% rate from what I first suggested.I cut mine because it is easier to measure. I know some that use a 1cc syringe and they can measure straight solution and put it in food. I have done this for 8 years in a kennel that usually has about 10 to 12 dogs. Never had any problems and have conferred with vets concerning safety . It is not recommened for Collies and other herding breeds. I cannot say why. When you read the bottle label this is also the dosage on the label . They list it as 1cc per 100 lbs. Do not inject this either put in food or squirt into mouth. They do not like the taste when injected into the mouth. Never had trouble when putting on food.

 

[firemediceric]

Use the 1% solution. Do not use ivermectin plus. Have your dog checked first. A lot of people cut it with propylene glycol which has the same viscosity. If you cut it mix 1 part ivermect to 9 parts propylene glycol with this solution dose at rate of 1cc per 11 lbs of dog. This will prevent worms except tape and also controls fleas. If you wish to just prevent heartworm you can dose this solution at a 25% rate from what I first suggested.I cut mine because it is easier to measure. I know some that use a 1cc syringe and they can measure straight solution and put it in food. I have done this for 8 years in a kennel that usually has about 10 to 12 dogs. Never had any problems and have conferred with vets concerning safety . It is not recommened for Collies and other herding breeds. I cannot say why. When you read the bottle label this is also the dosage on the label . They list it as 1cc per 100 lbs. Do not inject this either put in food or squirt into mouth. They do not like the taste when injected into the mouth. Never had trouble when putting on food.

Thank you for your response. You have experience with this that I lack, at the same time, I am hesitant to use your dosage when I read other things such as what I'm pasting below. Hence, my confusion and hesitance.

According to the FDA, the "recommended minimum dose level [is] 6.0 mcg ivermectin per kilogram (2.72 mcg/lb) of body weight" for treatment of heartworms in dogs. This is the dosage in the FDA approved Heartgard.
For example, for a 40 lb dog, I calculate that as: 2.72 x 40 = 108 mcg or .108 mg. See: http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/730.htm

Dilute Ivomec (you want the 1% injectable Ivomec for cattle) one part Ivomec to 9 parts propylene glycol....then give the dog 1/10 of a cc per 10 lbs. of dog of this solution (a 40 lb. dog gets 4/10 of a cc.)


Simply add 0.3 ml’s of 1% Ivermectin injectable to one ounce of propylene glycol, making a 100 microgram/ml solution. Dose this at 0.1 ml per pound of body weight (10 micrograms per pound) once monthly."


Hopefully this can settle the debate.
I wanted to figure out exactly how much has my dog been getting by taking Heartgard because I have a Border Collie and an Australian Shepherd and was a little concerned about harming them.
Here is the breakdown.
Heartgard has 272 mcg or Ivermectin for the 50-100 dog dose
157 mcg for the 25-50lb dose and 68 mcg for the up top 25 lb dose.
I figured this out myself and then verified it with another persons formula for which the web site is.
http://www.convertit.com/board/view.asp?mode=viewtopic&topicID=749&forumID=1&catID=9
Here is the Formula- they base it on 2.73 which means that the Heartgard 51-100 lb dose is based on the 100 lb dog.
THE FORMULA
Ivomec Ivermectin has 10 mg or 10000 ug per cc. 6 ug per kg is 2.73 ug per pound. So multiply the dog's weight in pounds by 2.73 to get the micrograms needed, and divide that by 10000 for the number of cc's to give the dog.
So for a 100 lb dog.
100 x 2.73 = 273
273 divided by 10000 =.0273 ml or cc
thus your Hundred lb dog needs just about 1 quarter of a cc of ivermectin 1% solution per month.
I made a table to make it easy or you can just use the formula. I rounded the numbers.
10 lbs = .0027 cc or ml (call it .003)
20 lbs = .0055 cc or ml
30 lbs = .0082 cc or ml
40 lbs = .011 cc or ml
50 lbs = .013 cc or ml
60 lbs = .016 cc or ml
70 lbs = .020 cc or ml
80 lbs = .022 cc or ml
90 lbs = .025 cc or ml
100 lbs = .027 cc or ml

The precise dosage of Ivomec 1% for dogs is 0.0027 cc or ml per 10 pounds. This based on the concentration in Heartgard for dogs. I verified the concentration and dilution with a vet, a pharmacist and a chemist.

 

[fieldtrialer]

You are right my dosage is high if you are just trying to prevent heartworm. The dosage I use also controlls hookworm,round,and whip. It also controlls fleas at this dosage.This is safe and suggested by two different vets.and it is used by a lot of people in the dog world. Much less will prevent heartworm.
Everybody repeats the warning not to use it on Collies . I would not want to use any amount on Collies because I don't know the reason for the warning.

 

[firemediceric]

Everybody repeats the warning not to use it on Collies . I would not want to use any amount on Collies because I don't know the reason for the warning.

From what I understand from my reading elsewhere, you can have a DNA test done on the collie, or any dog, to see if it carries the gene making it vulnerable to the ivermectin. I have read that any merle colored dog can be vulnerable. Some, as a rule of thumb, caution against giving the drug to any white footed breed. IDK. I deal with a Rottweiler, GSD, and a Malinois.

I find it interesting that the dose you use controls fleas. You are the first person that I have come across that has stated this. Keeping the fleas in check would be great, but I really don't want to give the dog more of the ivermectin than I need to.

Currently the dogs are on Sentinel, which is a once a month pill that controls all the worms (except for tape worm) as well as fleas. My thought is to try alternating the Sentinel one month with the Ivermectin the next and see how I make out flea wise.

 

[Sylvanusman]

Thank you for your response. You have experience with this that I lack, at the same time, I am hesitant to use your dosage when I read other things such as what I'm pasting below. Hence, my confusion and hesitance.

According to the FDA, the "recommended minimum dose level [is] 6.0 mcg ivermectin per kilogram (2.72 mcg/lb) of body weight" for treatment of heartworms in dogs. This is the dosage in the FDA approved Heartgard.
For example, for a 40 lb dog, I calculate that as: 2.72 x 40 = 108 mcg or .108 mg. See: http://www.fda.gov/cvm/FOI/730.htm

Dilute Ivomec (you want the 1% injectable Ivomec for cattle) one part Ivomec to 9 parts propylene glycol....then give the dog 1/10 of a cc per 10 lbs. of dog of this solution (a 40 lb. dog gets 4/10 of a cc.)


Simply add 0.3 ml’s of 1% Ivermectin injectable to one ounce of propylene glycol, making a 100 microgram/ml solution. Dose this at 0.1 ml per pound of body weight (10 micrograms per pound) once monthly."


Hopefully this can settle the debate.
I wanted to figure out exactly how much has my dog been getting by taking Heartgard because I have a Border Collie and an Australian Shepherd and was a little concerned about harming them.
Here is the breakdown.
Heartgard has 272 mcg or Ivermectin for the 50-100 dog dose
157 mcg for the 25-50lb dose and 68 mcg for the up top 25 lb dose.
I figured this out myself and then verified it with another persons formula for which the web site is.
http://www.convertit.com/board/view.asp?mode=viewtopic&topicID=749&forumID=1&catID=9
Here is the Formula- they base it on 2.73 which means that the Heartgard 51-100 lb dose is based on the 100 lb dog.
THE FORMULA
Ivomec Ivermectin has 10 mg or 10000 ug per cc. 6 ug per kg is 2.73 ug per pound. So multiply the dog's weight in pounds by 2.73 to get the micrograms needed, and divide that by 10000 for the number of cc's to give the dog.
So for a 100 lb dog.
100 x 2.73 = 273
273 divided by 10000 =.0273 ml or cc
thus your Hundred lb dog needs just about 1 quarter of a cc of ivermectin 1% solution per month.
I made a table to make it easy or you can just use the formula. I rounded the numbers.
10 lbs = .0027 cc or ml (call it .003)
20 lbs = .0055 cc or ml
30 lbs = .0082 cc or ml
40 lbs = .011 cc or ml
50 lbs = .013 cc or ml
60 lbs = .016 cc or ml
70 lbs = .020 cc or ml
80 lbs = .022 cc or ml
90 lbs = .025 cc or ml
100 lbs = .027 cc or ml

The precise dosage of Ivomec 1% for dogs is 0.0027 cc or ml per 10 pounds. This based on the concentration in Heartgard for dogs. I verified the concentration and dilution with a vet, a pharmacist and a chemist.

Hi, and thanks for all the good calculations and tables etc; it helped confirm my own. Just a little glitch though on line 32 you say "thus your Hundred lb dog needs just about 1 quarter of a cc of ivermectin 1% solution per month." .... I think you meant to say 1 quarter of a cc of ivermectin .1% per month. The decimal point here is ALL important! 1 quarter of a cc of 1% straight ivermec 1% is 10 times the correct dose, or 900% too much . Right? One quarter of a cc of the user diluted .1% or 1mg/1cc solution should be right, Right? It is IMPOSSIBLE to use the straight 1% solution even with a 1cc insulin syringe since .272cc's is 10 times too much and there is NO WAY that someone could ever draw just 272 hundredths of a cc into the syringe. That much or "little" wouldn't even register on the scale, it would be down in the needle body. Perhaps a thistle tube pipette would work ok.

 

[magusjinx]

Isn't it amazing how you can use one med for another totally diff animal? ... We used to use combiotic injections for Jersey calves and Australian Shepherds ... Hmmmmmmmmmm ... Let's hear it for bag balm ... Tetracycline is in pet fish meds ... So is penicillin ...

 

[melindaregner]

Use the 1% solution. Do not use ivermectin plus. Have your dog checked first. A lot of people cut it with propylene glycol which has the same viscosity. If you cut it mix 1 part ivermect to 9 parts propylene glycol with this solution dose at rate of 1cc per 11 lbs of dog. This will prevent worms except tape and also controls fleas. If you wish to just prevent heartworm you can dose this solution at a 25% rate from what I first suggested.I cut mine because it is easier to measure. I know some that use a 1cc syringe and they can measure straight solution and put it in food. I have done this for 8 years in a kennel that usually has about 10 to 12 dogs. Never had any problems and have conferred with vets concerning safety . It is not recommened for Collies and other herding breeds. I cannot say why. When you read the bottle label this is also the dosage on the label . They list it as 1cc per 100 lbs. Do not inject this either put in food or squirt into mouth. They do not like the taste when injected into the mouth. Never had trouble when putting on food.

Good suggestions! Two thumbs up here.
I tried it and it works.