. Thank You Very Much Milo. She is fine now and I managed to scare up some smaller does interceptor to double up on for her. I have two shelties who have always got interceptor with absolutely no side-effects. The reactions that were reported included skin irritation, seizures, skin burns and death. Yes, I do. There are two situations where I would feel safe using daily Interceptor to treat demodex in a collie. I can’t wait to get them back on interceptor again. Ivermectin, when dosed at the low dosage ranges necessary to prevent infection with heartworms, is generally considered to be safe for dogs of all breeds, including Collies, Shelties, Australian Shepherds, and English and Old English Sheepdogs. I find it odd that you chance your client’ s dogs’ lives without erring on the safe side and doing the MDR1 test first. Much to our suprise, Borzoi were classified as a herding dog and much closer genetically than some other Sighthounds! Herding breeds such as collies and shepherds are more sensitive to the active ingredient in Heartgard called Ivermectin. Collies 3. It may still be helpful to learn what’s in a Heartgard tablet, just in case, you know, your dog decides to feast on 10 packets in the near future. It is not financially feasable to study. Leave a comment below and hopefully I can help clear up the subject even more. (He did not have any other kind of worms.) Playing Russian roulette with someone’s pet is irresponsible. Herding breeds (such as Collies) can be sensitive to the active ingredient, so talk to your veterinarian if your dog may be affected. Shetland Sheepdog 10. I have no problem with a collie breed or any other breed with a potential MDR1 gene mutation receiving Heartgard. Dog breeds that are believed to be more likely to be carrying this gene include: If a dog with the MDR1 gene mutation receives a high enough dose of ivermectin (or milbemycin) they can have serious neurological side effects including tremors, seizures, coma and even death. my beautiful boy Ziggy ~. For “normal” dogs this is generally ok. I wanted to write a post to explain why this is not true. I have had several comments on my post about the Novartis shortages from people who are upset because they have a breed of dog who is sensitive to ivermectin and they feel that Interceptor and Sentinel are the only drugs that are safe to use for heartworm prevention for their dogs. For approval first.) Effects of dermal application of 10.0% imidacloprid-0.08% ivermectin in ivermectin-sensitive Collies – This study, published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research gave ivermectin to collies known to have the MRD1 gene. My opinion, and more importantly the opinion of numerous veterinary toxicology gurus, is that Heartgard Plus is safe for Collies and Shelties. Dec 17th 2010. photo 2009 Daisyree Bakker | more info (via: Wylio)I have two Shelties and the two vets in the office where we go have different opinions on Heartgard for Collie type dogs. Silken Windhounds 11. google_ad_slot = "2688036376"; [CDATA[ Having raised a multitude of Australlian Heelers, (related to the Collie), I would have to agree with the desenting Vet. Ivermectin Toxicity in 17 Collies – This study was published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine and inside the article they state that “A dose of 50–60 ug/kg ivermectin was found to be safe in Collies known to be susceptible to the drug.” Once again, as mentioned in my article, the dose of ivermectin in Heartgard is 6 ug/kg.  |. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. I am a pharmacist and did my own research. photo 2009 Daisyree Bakker | more info (via: Wylio)I have two Shelties and the two vets in the office where we go have different opinions... dogedit Pyrantel pamoate removes many types of intestinal worms. As mentioned in the article, dogs who have the MDR1 gene problem are sensitive to ivermectin at a high enough dose. Photo Caption Contest Winner for 12-15-10. Assessment of toxicosis induced by high-dose administration of milbemycin oxime in collies. The vet recommended Certifect and Heartgard. R.I.P. Never give Heartguard to a Collie or a Sheltie. Below, we’ve identified a few of the significant differences between these different types of anti-worm medicines. Interceptor is the ONLY safe heartworm prevention medication for Collies, Collie-mixes, Shelties and Sheltie-mixes. I have never had hesitation about giving a collie dog (or a white footed dog) any heartworm meds. SAFETY: HEARTGARD has shown a wide margin of safety at the recommended dose level in dogs (See PRECAUTIONS for exceptions) including pregnant or breeding bitches, stud dogs, and puppies aged 6 or more weeks. I recommend it before starting a course of high dose ivermectin in any dog. I will NEVER use this wormer again. Can heartworm be transmitted between dogs? Do not combine high doses of ivermectin with spinosad for any dog. High-dose ivermectin is a huge no-no in Collies and Shelties unless they are first tested for the mutation. I did it over a weekend so I could keep an eye on them….Both of them do have one or more white feet…. thank you for that I have a boarder collie and would not have known the dangers of invermectin, Your email address will not be published. Shelties already prone to epilepsy have been known to have seizures after taking Heartguard. It contains two active ingredients. Should he get something for that periodically? Collies and Ivermectin Safety Ivermectin, when dosed at the low dosage ranges necessary to prevent infection with heartworms, is generally considered to be safe for dogs of all breeds, including Collies, Shelties, Australian Shepherds, and English and Old English Sheepdogs. According to the product website, NexGard works quickly to kill all fleas and ticks within 24 hours. Ivermectin commonly is used at higher doses to treat various types of mange and other parasitic diseases. Thank You very much for the information. In clinical trials, many commonly used flea collars, dips, shampoos, anthelmintics, antibiotics, vaccines, and steroid preparations have been administered with HEARTGARD in a heartworm disease preventive program.Studies with ivermectin indicate … We don’t have milbemycin as an individual drug other than using Interceptor. Is there not a product out there with just milbemycin oxime. When Interceptor first hit the market, the packaging proclaimed, “Safe for ivermectin sensitive collies.”  This implied that products like Heartgard that did contain small levels of ivermectin were not safe. The problem was that I didn’t have a box with the ingrediants listed. Very worried. Heartgard contains Ivermectin and although we can use daily ivermectin for treatment of demodex we would simply use the drug ivermectin rather than use Heartgard. Scarlett is 6 1/2 years old, active, spends 1/2 of her day outdoors in an open area with woods. A word of caution: this is a specific test and not of the “23 and me” type. Frontline doesn’t work at all any more. © 2019 Belvoir Media Group. your product Trifexis has resulted in neurological problems in my collie she is so bad has to be put to sleep it is criminal that you promote this product while pets are dying and their owners broken hearted. Receive each veterinary news story by email. Both Interceptor and Heartgard Plus are intended to fight against worms, including heartworms and intestinal parasites. After fighting for his life for several weeks, I had to let him go gently and peacefully. Secondly, what heartworm medicine is safe for Australian shepherds? Ivermectin prevents heartworm infestation by killing larvae in the bloodstream. Then again we were not suprised because we know they are as suseptable to the same drugs as Collies with the MDR1 gene. It was absolutely horrible. We know she is middle aged, however her exhaustion following a busy frisbee/tunnel exercise is concerning. Unless you can back up this statement with multiple studies, it should be retracted. I changed my aproach this month, chopped into small peices and fed about 1 hour after her morning meal. However, they are not identical and have some key differences that you should be aware of when shopping for an anti-worm medication. Scared me big time. //