Heartguard "might" be tainted too! - Page 1

Just to let everyone know if you haven't heard this but my vet called me and asked me to return my Heartguard. It's made with the "wheat gluten" and possibly the tainted stuff. My vet said he didn't want to take any chances and asked me to return it. He put my dogs on Interceptor in its place. Might want to ask your veterinarian about this too. Karla

Have been in contact with my vet.They have been in touch with Merial and this is a rumor. A letter is forth coming confirming Heartguard and HeartguardPLUS is NOT being recalled. My vet will email and I will post once I receive it. Melody Roberts von Fabing Shepherds

Melody, just because it is not on recall, does not mean there is no issue with it. The FDA can not order a recall, it is all voluntary by the maker. Because this is coming out a few products at a time, pet food to 45 days later human consumption. I am on the side of caution and not feeding anyone in my home, a gluetin product. Karla, stated, "MIGHT" and her vet is just being proactive. She has put us on notice and now it is up to us as individual's to come to our own conclusions, to use/or not to use.

Rumor or not... My vet is doing the same thing. I don't use Heartguard but on a trip to the vet this past Monday, I noticed a sign in my vets office that says "There is suspicion that Heartguard may contain the contaminated wheat. This office will NOT sell any Heartguard until we get the facts straight from the manufacturer." I know it verbatum because I was a "squeeze" in so I waited a long time. Birdy...

The letter below is being shared with permission: April 18, 2007 Dear Veterinarians and Clinic Staff, Merial would like to assure veterinarians and clinic staff that HEARTGARD (ivermectin) brand products do not contain wheat gluten. You can continue to dispense HEARTGARD ® to pets with confidence. As you know, reports of contaminated pet foods have confused and alarmed consumers, and raised awareness of the ingredients used in the product pets eat. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s synopsis of the pet food outbreak, the suspected contaminant is wheat gluten sourced from China. Taste Test treats are used in veterinary clinics to demonstrate how easy HEARTGARD chewables are to administer. Although Taste test Treats are also made with real-beef, they do not contain the active ingredient found in HEARTGARD. These treats, manufactured by Mountain Country Foods, DO NOT CONTAIN wheat gluten. However, Mountain Country Foods has advised that the wheat gluten it uses to produce the Treats is sourced form within the United States and made solely from American grains. Taste Test Treats are therefore unaffected by the recall of wheat gluten form China, and remain an effective way to demonstrate the ease of administering HEARTGARD. If you have any additional questions, please call 1-888-MERIAL-1, option3. Sincerely, Collen Boa Product Manager - HEARTGARD

If you have any additional questions, please call 1-888-MERIAL-1, option3. When it comes to my dogs, I too believe in being proactive. I did not intend to offend Karla or anyone else. I just beleive if in doubt go to the source and get the RIGHT answer. I hope you all have a great day...believe the best... M~

Hi Melody, I was never offended and I'll fax the statement above to my vet. I'd rather he error on the side of caution as I think he's treated some of the sick animals from the other sources that were out there. Have a good day!

email me with your fax and I will be happy to forward the fax I received form my vet

Thank you Melody, I am so tired of looking everything up. My Daughter just got a puppy and is going to need to use something.

Hi Melody! Thanks for the offer. I just called the number above that you provided and a nice lady named Cindy faxed this information directly to my vet. I figured it would best from the Manufacturer to state these claims to the clinic. Have a great day!