Heartgard (ivermectin) or Interceptor?

Heartguard is in a semi-moist square that you feed your pup like a treat and interceptor is in pill form.
Something in the flavoring in Heartguard daisy is allergic to- she had fits of itching and swelling, and tear-stain blowout when she had a heartguard (when we first got her- almost 2 years ago).
She's on interceptor now and has no ill side effects- only I learned I have to give it to her with food or she'll throw up.

Emma also has issues with Heartguard. It causes her to have seizures. We do interceptor. Ivermectin is pretty toxic stuff, anyways.

HeartGuard is ivermectin, which a lot of dogs (herders among other breeds) don't tolerate well.  In order for them to get most dogs to tolerate it, they've put it out in very very very low doses, so it doesn't work on most types of parasites.
 
Interceptor is milbemycin -- a 'cousin' to ivermectin but far better tolerated.  Because it is safer, it's in a more reasonable dose and it protects against a far wider range of parasites.
 
Sentinel is Interceptor with the old "Program" drug -- it doesn't kill fleas -- it literally "sterilizes" them so they can't have baby fleas.  Which sounds great, except can you guarantee your dog will never get another flea from somewhere else?  Kinda silly -- so I use Frontline and Interceptor. 
 
Revolution is the other heartworm 'preventive' thing -- it's a spot on, but it is systemic.  It stays in the dog's bloodstream all month, which the others don't do (both milbemycin and ivermectin are gone from the body in about 24 hours).  I don't like anything systemic -- I don't want my dog to be carrying around pesticide in its body all month with no guarantee that it will ever disburse from the body before it has to be given again.

we use Interceptor because it has the added advantage of controlling hookworms, roundworms and whipworms. (Whips are nasty around here)

ORIGINAL: calliecritturs

HeartGuard is ivermectin, which a lot of dogs (herders among other breeds) don't tolerate well. In order for them to get most dogs to tolerate it, they've put it out in very very very low doses, so it doesn't work on most types of parasites.

Callie,
Can you give some links to documented proof for those statements? I know herding breeds are sensitive to ivermectin, but I have seen nothing about "other breeds" as well. Also, "it doesn't work on most types of parasites"? It only claims to work on heartworm.

I don't have my book here at work but I use Ivermectin for control of all worms(including heartworm) excluding tapes monthly.
 
I have read over the years that it is NOT to be used on collies and herding breeds as well. I would have to search out where, I seem to remember that it causes blindness and/or seizures

ORIGINAL: amstaffy

I have read over the years that it is NOT to be used on collies and herding breeds as well. I would have to search out where, I seem to remember that it causes blindness and/or seizures

Thanks Jaime. That point is not in question (that info is on many informational sites). Since I don't have a herding breed that's not of too much concern to me. What I questioned was that Callie said "other breeds" as well. I just wondered which ones and where she got that info.

Well I too have heard "other" breeds but since I mainly focus on the Am Staffs and Frenchies and have had no issues I tend to loose some of that "other" info if you know what I mean...so much comes in, some has to come out [&:]
 
I will see what I can search up for you, not really sure what makes it so different with the Herding breeds but I always suggest speaking with your vet before trying to "vet at home". It took me years to work myself up to using Ivermectin for my guys and of course my using it does not make it right for everyone.

Ok, here was just a quick search..
 
[linkhttp://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ivermectin.html]http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ivermectin.html[/link]
Side effects are not a concern with the extremely low doses used in commercially marketed heartworm preventives. problems may arise when higher doses, such as those used against mites, are employed.
Side effects generally do not occur with any anti-mange doses of ivermectin except in Collies, Shetland sheepdogs, Australian shepherds, and Old English sheepdogs, though some individual animals that are not members of these sensitive breeds may also be prone to side effects

Side effects generally do not occur with any anti-mange doses of ivermectin except in Collies, Shetland sheepdogs, Australian shepherds, and Old English sheepdogs, though some individual animals that are not members of these sensitive breeds may also be prone to side effects

Like Emma, who is a freak of nature Emma reacted to the anti-mange dose (which is typically 20-200 times HIGHER than what they get in Heartguard) and she reacts to the super low dose in Heartguard.

Thanks Jaime!
My vet only uses Heartgard and last year Bailey had no problem with it. I only asked this question b/c someone recommended Interceptor instead, and I see a lot of people use it. I just wondered if there's any real issue to choose one over the other besides what's been mentioned. Since my vet only uses Heartgard it would be a hassle to try to get something else, unless there was some vital reason for me to do so.

If what you're using works and you're happy with it's results I would say stick with it unless there was a health issue or concern.
 
I have used the Ivermectin for about 8 years but I also rotate my wormer in the winter months and pick up the Ivermection in March(once the weather breaks) just because I "think" I should rotate my wormer.
 
Ivermectin gets a lot of flack but when you are doing more then one dog monthly it is an advantage to use it as long as it works []

Hi -- gosh, that's not even disputed at this point, and they're adding certain poodle types (like Irish Water dogs and others that I don't have at the tip of my tongue).
 
Try the Pill Book Guide to Medication for Your Dog and Cat (Dell Reference).  That's pretty darned plain.
 
"Mange" encompasses ear mites, sarcoptic mites and demodex canis mites which are all different doses -- the dose for demodex is about 200 times what is given for heartworm 'preventive' AND it's dosed every day.  So careful when you say 'mange' -- it's a loaded term.
 
But my best 'reference' in that is ME.  I darned near killed Foxy with it about 10 years ago.  WE were broke, and I was trying to save money and use Ivomec and I gave him the dose of ivermectin my VET gave me (and he helped me figure the percentage of concentration and everything) -- like 2 drops of the stuff. 
 
Foxy had a classic reaction to it -- it makes them feel like they have a headache (cos they DO - it affects the brain!) - avoid light, avoid sound, people, and generally get reclusive. 
 
Doc told me then to halve what we gave him and try it the next month.  SAME RESPONSE only worse. 
 
Foxy was a corgi/sheltie mix.  So which the heck genetic tree it came from no one knows -- he was 100% herder at least.
 
My vet back then was part of the research and development team who INVENTED ivermectin.  He was a big vet in the greyhound circuit down here and the guy devoted most of his life in finding something to stop heartworm.  So I was privy to a lot of his reserach. 
 
But try the Pill Book Guide -- it's very explicit and it actually tells you HOW it kills parasites.  The genetic thing comes in how thin the particular breed/dog's semi-permeable brain membrane is -- and Doc and I always surmised it had something to do with that herder ability to concentrate in 99 directions at once. 
 
That's all I have off the top of my head, but I've never seen it disputed other than in HearGuard's literature (and the fact they still like to use collies and shelties in their advertising)

You can read the lable inserts for these medications. Ivermectin states not to be used with hearding breeds. I have 6 dogs. I had all but one on Interceptor. The one on Ivermectin came down with a nasty case of whipworms. I prefer Interceptor to heartgaurd b/c comparing the 2, Interceptor is labled for use with a variety of worms, while heartgaurd is strictly for heartworms. Interceptor is safer than products with Ivermectin. I have mostly mixed breed. There is no telling if they have collie or sheltie. I would just rather not take the risk and receive the added benefits of not having to fight off a case of some other parasite that Interceptor takes care of.