My dog pack is up to 4 and looking for some ways to save a buck on monthly routine. Currently on credelio and heart guard. Seems like there might be some options especially on the de wormer side to save some money? Any suggestions?

There are generic versions of heartworm medicine available that is cheaper than heartgard. Make sure you check the active ingredients and amounts of them to make sure they match. I think you need a prescription from your veterinarian and they won't like being cut out of the money, but you gotta look out for you.

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

ConfidentAg said:

---

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

---

Thanks for tip, will check that out.

The breeder I bought our dog from said gexfuesnt recommend the flea/tick combo with heart worms. He has had dogs get seizures and sone died from the combo.

Anyone else have this experience?

We use Simparica Trio on on our Lab and Dachshund. We've been using it for a while now and have been happy with it

ConfidentAg said:

---

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

---

Illegal and a high probability of counterfeit drugs. Careful what you pay for.

I'd just dose them with ivermectin for HW, if you're going to do it on the CHEAP.

Please get professional advice on dosage for PO/injection (IM or SQ) etc.

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

---

Illegal and a high probability of counterfeit drugs. Careful what you pay for.

---

Is it really illegal?

And I believe it's an Australian company despite the name.

If you don't need tick prevention, Sentinel is a good option for heartworm, flea, and intestinal parasites. There are generic alternatives to heartgard, but not Credelio ( Simparica, Nexguard, and Bravecto being the other options). The other flea prevention options out there don't work that great.

I mean, they don't seem to sell the HeartGuard that you get at American vet's offices.

So, they are either buying non-American approved pet drugs - or they are counterfeit.

This is what PetMeds did when they first opened, and there was a lot of issues with drug efficacy due to the lack of oversight and control of shipment/storage.

You buy drugs from a DVM because they do carry some guarantee that they'll do what they say they'll do. You buy drugs over the internet or phone and you get what you pay for.

For example... if HeartGuard isn't stored or shipped properly (prolonged heat exposure), it'll be worthless.

Thanks for the insight. Seeing as they are shipped via container to the US I have zero doubt that they were exposed to heat.

ConfidentAg said:

---

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

---

Illegal and a high probability of counterfeit drugs. Careful what you pay for.

---

Is it really illegal?

And I believe it's an Australian company despite the name.

---

Yep

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/september-11-2017-owner-oc-pet-products-company-pleads-guilty-selling-pet-meds-without-prescriptions

Learn something new every day

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

---

Illegal and a high probability of counterfeit drugs. Careful what you pay for.

---

Is it really illegal?

And I believe it's an Australian company despite the name.

---

Yep

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/september-11-2017-owner-oc-pet-products-company-pleads-guilty-selling-pet-meds-without-prescriptions

---

I don't get why heart worm meds for a dog would need a prescription. Its pretty easy to dose and they need it once a month...

jpb1999 said:

---

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

---

Illegal and a high probability of counterfeit drugs. Careful what you pay for.

---

Is it really illegal?

And I believe it's an Australian company despite the name.

---

Yep

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/september-11-2017-owner-oc-pet-products-company-pleads-guilty-selling-pet-meds-without-prescriptions

---

I don't get why heart worm meds for a dog would need a prescription. Its pretty easy to dose and they need it once a month...

---

there's literally no reason other than profit making. you can dose your cows, horses, etc. but, you can't dose your dog or cat.

another word of warning on saving some cash buying online vs through your vet. I know there's probably close to zero chance this happens to anyone else, but it happened to us, so....

We switched to buying our heartguard from chewy to save money b/c it was cheaper than through our vet. Just like many things, heartguard isn't 100%. Its 95.6% effective. Well, despite our dog being on heartguard his entire life and treated on-time like clockwork, he got heartworms a couple years ago. Heartguard has a guarantee that they will pay for treatment (or a portion of) if your dog gets heartworms. Well guess what? Its only valid if you purchase heartguard through a vet.

The money saved on buying through chewy wasn't worth it compared to heartworm treatment.

Hang on. It's not "exposure to heat", it's prolonged exposure to heat or anything else. For all the drugs.


There is just a different standard of care

The veterinarian industry has gotten way out of hand.

tmaggies said:

---

The veterinarian industry has gotten way out of hand.

---

it's pretty easy to see why when people talk about their "fur babies".

jpb1999 said:

---

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

---

Illegal and a high probability of counterfeit drugs. Careful what you pay for.

---

Is it really illegal?

And I believe it's an Australian company despite the name.

---

Yep

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/september-11-2017-owner-oc-pet-products-company-pleads-guilty-selling-pet-meds-without-prescriptions

---

I don't get why heart worm meds for a dog would need a prescription. Its pretty easy to dose and they need it once a month...

---

The reason could be that if a dog has an active infection of heartworms and it's started on heartworm meds that the result can be fatal. At least that's always been my understanding. That's why testing has to be done first unless the dog has always been on medication.

Furlock Bones said:

---

jpb1999 said:

---

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

bmfvet said:

---

ConfidentAg said:

---

I order from canadavet.com

You don't need a prescription

---

Illegal and a high probability of counterfeit drugs. Careful what you pay for.

---

Is it really illegal?

And I believe it's an Australian company despite the name.

---

Yep

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/september-11-2017-owner-oc-pet-products-company-pleads-guilty-selling-pet-meds-without-prescriptions

---

I don't get why heart worm meds for a dog would need a prescription. Its pretty easy to dose and they need it once a month...

---

there's literally no reason other than profit making. you can dose your cows, horses, etc. but, you can't dose your dog or cat.

---

except those usually dosing their cows, horses, etc know what they are doing. Some people will dose their dogs and cats like the put out weed control and fertilizer, oh is says this amount, so way more will be even better.

But I think if you have livestock and understand dosages, then you should have no issues treating your own animals then.

there's no license for cows or horses. plenty of **** ups out there have them.

Lot of good information here and some not so good. Before you jump into the internet just check the prices at your local DVM. As mentioned, there are warranties for efficacy if compliance can be shown, there are often rebates not available on line. Your local DVM has an idea as to which flea or heartworm med works best in your area. You might be surprised as to how close the prices are, depends on the local vet. Some of the combination products are more cost effective

Ivomec for heartworm prevention

OnlyForNow said:

---

I'd just dose them with ivermectin for HW, if you're going to do it on the CHEAP.

Please get professional advice on dosage for PO/injection (IM or SQ) etc.

---

Be informed of the breed contraindications for ivermectin and the dilution requirements depending on body weight. Don't know those? Then sit through Pharmacology and Parasitology and get after it.

TX_COWDOC said:

---

OnlyForNow said:

---

I'd just dose them with ivermectin for HW, if you're going to do it on the CHEAP.

Please get professional advice on dosage for PO/injection (IM or SQ) etc.

---

Be informed of the breed contraindications for ivermectin and the dilution requirements depending on body weight. Don't know those? Then sit through Pharmacology and Parasitology and get after it.

---

AggieOO said:

---

another word of warning on saving some cash buying online vs through your vet. I know there's probably close to zero chance this happens to anyone else, but it happened to us, so....

We switched to buying our heartguard from chewy to save money b/c it was cheaper than through our vet. Just like many things, heartguard isn't 100%. Its 95.6% effective. Well, despite our dog being on heartguard his entire life and treated on-time like clockwork, he got heartworms a couple years ago. Heartguard has a guarantee that they will pay for treatment (or a portion of) if your dog gets heartworms. Well guess what? Its only valid if you purchase heartguard through a vet.

The money saved on buying through chewy wasn't worth it compared to heartworm treatment.

---

Our border collie got heartworms while on Trifexis which we bought thru a vet. She said they would cover all the expenses due to their guarantee. They covered about 10%. We switched vets after she would no longer return any calls or emails. Don't know if she pocketed the cash or the company failed to act.

McInnis said:

---

jpb1999 said:

---

I don't get why heart worm meds for a dog would need a prescription. Its pretty easy to dose and they need it once a month...

---

The reason could be that if a dog has an active infection of heartworms and it's started on heartworm meds that the result can be fatal. At least that's always been my understanding. That's why testing has to be done first unless the dog has always been on medication.

---

McInnis nailed it. If started as a pup, or a dog verified HW free, then Ivermectin products can be used w/o concern, with the usual caveats of certain breeds may have issues, and that correct dose rates are determined.

Have used Ivermectrin products (initially Zimectrin, when that was the only paste available) since 1994, lots of dogs, other family/friends dogs, with zero positive HW tests. Almost 30 years....
The $$ savings then, and now, are quite incredible....and when I doubted my own math (200+ Lab size doses per tube of equine paste), I contacted A&M's Vet school, where a helpful vet said "we have way too many dogs, to use Heartgard, we dilute (10:1) Ivomec (liquid cattle wormer) with glycol, and put it on the dogs food". The dilution was necessary for easier measurement, as the ivermectin % in Ivomec is quite high.

AND our great vet at the time (Boonville Clinic) worked with me on testing the filter membrane used in HW microfilaria detection, and later mentioned ivermectin tolerance as higher than expected: a type of sarcoptic mange was successfully treated by giving dogs a daily dose of what is given monthly, with no adverse effects.

Some reseach, initial due diligence, and math...and effective HW prevention can be economical. And re the "prevention", when you dose your dog, it's not to prevent HW, it is to kill any microfilaria that may have developed since the last dose.

Listen to this. My vet knows I use it and has no issues. Also, being as my dad was a vet this is all we ever used on our own dogs.

This is what I'm talking about!

<<<When you dose your dog, it's not to prevent HW, it is to kill any microfilaria that may have developed since the last dose>>>

Almost, but not quite.

And.....

A study, completed at Auburn University, confirmed that certain heartworm strains were indeed less susceptible to ivermectin-containing heartworm preventatives than other strains. A second study they performed confirmed that genetic differences between different isolates of heartworms do exist.

Looks like I'm switching to Ivermectin.

Had enough of spending $800 every 6m for new flea/tick and HW medicine. It seems everytime they insist need a new HW test and charge me an office visit until I object that it's not happening.

I get they are a business and need money, but they can make it off of the "fur babies" crowd

Furlock Bones said:

---

there's no license for cows or horses. plenty of **** ups out there have them.

---

Except it's much easier to overdose a 5 lbs pet than an 1200 pound cow

buy the smallest bottle you can. problem with Ivomec is the shelf life is so short. the doses are so minuscule you end up wasting over 75% of the bottle and thats even if you use it a year past the expiration date. And you still havent covered flea or ticks either, so the cost savings may not be as much as youd hoped considering your efforts.