Staying True To Myself

From 1995 to 1998 to 2000 to 2009 to my current dogs, I have maintained the same caliber of dogs with many lessons learned along the way. 

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

Worms-N-Dogs

I have listed a short description of the most common worms found in dogs, how these worms infect your dog, and to finalize this article I will tell you what we use here at NoVACAIN Kennels to prevent and treat these parasites that can cause a range of health problems in your dogs.

VACCINATION SCHEDULE 

Roundworms

Typically spread in and through feces or during pregnancy or nursing, the roundworm causes a serious infection in dogs and puppies. Roundworms eat the food of its host and may cause diarrhea and other symptoms and with puppies, roundworms can be fatal. Prescription and over-the-counter deworming products for dogs are very effective. If people contract roundworms, their symptoms can be even more serious than those in dogs making roundworms zoonosis which means “able to be transmitted to humans from animals”.

Hookworms

These blood sucking worms mainly live in the small intestine of dogs, literally sucking and living off of the blood of your dog. With puppies they become infected from their mothers, while adult dogs often become infected through their skin while cleaning themselves. This parasite causes weakness and malnutrition and can quickly lead to death in puppies. Normally two (2) rounds of deworming medication are very effective in eliminating the internal parasite, although some puppies may need other treatment, as well to rid these blood suckers.  Humans can also become infected with hookworms from unwashed vegetables or by walking barefoot on sand and soil.

Heartworms

The all nasty and annoying MOSQUITO are the culprits that spread heartworms to dogs through their bites. This parasite affects how the heart functions and also how the blood clots by living in the heart and arteries that carries blood from the heart to the lungs, likely to causing death if untreated. Monthly heartworm preventives are effective and expensive so here at NoVACAIN Kennels we use 1% Ivermectin monthly (for more information look up ivermectin in the search). If infected, your dog may cough, have trouble breathing, and experience other symptoms. Treatment may involve two or three injections of arsenic-based drugs, followed by at least a month of rest so it is very important to have your dog or puppy on a monthly heartworm preventative asap.

Whipworms

Living where the small and large intestines meet, the whipworm is another blood sucking parasite, that literally lives off of the blood of your dog often being picked up and infected from contaminated soil or by grooming. Most often the whipworm doesn’t cause serious blood loss or other serious symptoms unless the dog or puppy is infested by large numbers of them that are embedded in the intestine. Some heartworm preventives are also effective against whipworms, and the oral de-wormer we use here at NoVACAIN Kennels is effective at eliminating whipworms.

Tapeworms

Carried by the annoying flea dogs often get tapeworms from licking themselves and swallowing fleas. Attached to the intestine this parasite sucks up nutrients from the dog or puppies body. Made up of small segments about the size of a grain of rice; that are passed in feces, and can sometimes been seen around the dog’s butt. An injection or tablet or the wormer we use here at NoVACAIN Kennels can kill the tapeworm. People also can get infected by tapeworms, but this is not a zoonosis parasite.

The Wormer We Use At NoVACAIN Kennels

Safe-Guard (Fenbendazole) is given for 3 consecutive days in a row and is very effective in the treatment of:
Tapeworms (Taenia pisiformis)
Roundworms (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina)
Hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala)
Whipworms (Trichuris vulpis)
Safe-Guard is given to your dog orally or by mixing the daily dose with a small amount of food. It is important to make sure your dog eats all of the food that has been medicated with Safe-Guard. If you feed a dry kibble you may need to moisten the dry dog food with a little warm water to help the mixing process. If worms are present or this is a newly acquired dog or puppy it is recommended to re-treat the dog or puppy in 2 weeks following the original treatment date.