Ivermectin 1% Heartworm Pervenative

Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic medication that is used for Heartworm prevention, and also a treatment for ear or hair mites. Ivermectin prevents or kills parasites by causing neurological damage to the parasite resulting in paralysis and ultimately the death of the parasite. Ivermectin is the active ingredient against Heartworms in Heartgard Plus, Tri-Heart Plus, and Iverhart Max. Please do NOT use Ivomec Plus, Ivomec Super, or any other products that contain additional active ingredients which may be harmful to your dog.

Giving the appropriate dosage of Ivermectin is extremely important in keeping your dog’s safe and providing adequate protection from heartworms. Here at NoVACAIN Kennels we use liquid Ivermectin (Ivomec is the brands) which is available in a 1% injectable solution for treating cattle and pigs. This is given orally to dogs and not injected or poured onto the body.

The most common recommendation you would read or hear for giving Ivermectin is 0.1 cc or ml of Ivermectin per 10 pounds of body weight which provides 37 times the amount of Ivermectin needed for heartworm prevention, and to be honest I feel as well as others that this recommended dose could be extremely dangerous for dogs over time. In high doses Ivermectin can be seriously dangerous and even fatal to dogs, especially dogs that carry the MDR1or ABCB1 mutation, although healthy dogs also can be harmed if the dosage of Ivermectin is too high. So once again its EXTREMELY important to give the proper dosage.

Here at NoVACAIN Kennels we feel comfortable giving our dogs 0.2 of a cc or ml for dogs under 50 pounds and 0.5 of a cc or ml for dogs over 50 pounds of Ivermectin orally once a month for heartworm prevention and this also has been recommended by trusted experienced vets who have been in business for more than 30 years.

Higher doses of Ivermectin up to 50 times higher than the recommended amount for Heartworm prevention can be safe to use for dogs when used properly and under guidance to treat demodectic mange on dogs but it is still not recommended for dogs with the MDR1 or ABCB1 mutation. Very high dosages may be problematic for dogs that are infected with Heartworms, and those being treated with Comfortis a monthly flea and tick preventative. It has also been said that higher doses of Ivermectin is unlikely to be more effective against the resistant strain of heartworms that has been identified in the Mississippi River Valley.

We do not recommend using Ivermectin as a common dewormer because it isn’t as effective as using Safeguard.

MDR1 or ABCB1 is typically found in breeds like Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties), Australian Shepherds, Old English Sheepdogs, German Shepherds, Long-haired Whippets, Silken Wind Hounds, and mutts that may be derived from these breeds