Help with ivermectin - Page 1

I have been reading the posts concerning heartworm medications and need some information about dosing. I went to the tractor supply and purchased ivermectin paste, 1.87%.  It says each marking on the plunger delivers enough paste for 250 pounds of body weight. There is also a half way mark which would be 125 pounds. I have a female gsd, 2yrs old who weighs 73 pounds and a 5 month old pup that weighs 40 pounds. How would I go about dosing these dogs?

Will this just protect against heartworm? Should they be given this monthly all year round? Will they need yearly bloodtests? Prior to this, I used heartguard, and this is so expensive, so I thought I would try this. Thanks in advance.

I found this discussion on the subject.. 

http://www.countrybynet.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Board/pets/Number/29597/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/7/o/all/fpart/1 

The paste is much too difficult to dose for dogs, and hence is dangerous. You need to purchase the liquid 1% solution for cattle. The article below is written for Beagles. The instructions are the same for any breed, except for Collies and Collie mixes. The Ivomec is very safe and a must for those who keep numbers of dogs.

http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_canineheartworms.htm

I use Ivomec, a liquid ivermectin. The formula given to me was to dilute 1 cc of Ivomec in 10cc of distilled water, give 1 cc of that solution orally per 20 pounds.  I have also used it as a subcutaneous injection undiluted to treat mange.

Blitz weighs 97 lbs. He gets 2 clicks of the dispensing wheel, an amount about the size of a pencil eraser. A vet worked out the formula.  The liquid is easier to dose. The paste is not approved for dogs and neither is the Ivomec liquid that many give to their dogs. The reality is that there is no incentive for the veterinary drug manufacturers to test it in dogs since they want us to buy the higher priced products. Blitz has taken the paste for almost 4years. So far he has tested negative for microfilaria and has not ever seen a vet for being sick.

I've used the horse version Ivermectin paste with one GSD male for almost 10yrs and never had any issues, either-and his heartworm blood tests I would have done routinely to check and make sure he was ok were always negative. The dose is about the size of your pinkie fingernail bed-NOT alot because its strong. Overdosing can be fatal, so not enough is better than too much. And never give it to a female you're planning on breeding or is pregnant-it can cause miscarriage & stillbirths. You can put the dosage within a hollowed ball of hamburger to ensure its taken. It works well for tapeworm and hookworms, too, from what I've been told. Panacur is a better regular wormer for those type of worms, but the Ivermectin does provide heartworm protection.

Thanks for everyone's help, but now I am totally confused. Some say never to give the paste, others say they give the paste. I can buy the liquid, but the only lquid I saw was the one for cattle. Is that the one to use? Can someone give me a link to what they purchase and the dosage. They have pour on and injectable. I would rather give orally, but which one?

It is really ludicrus that the heartworm medication for dogs is so costly,  when this is the same stuff at a lower price.

I also used biospot for fleas and have never had a problem. It says it protects against mosquitoes, so I sometime wonder if this will protect them. I worry about giving them too many things, but I do not want them to get any parasites.

Any more feedback would be great! Thanks!

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Thanks Steve, I really appreciate your help. Your instructions were very clear and and answered all my questions. Thanks again.

Diane