What heartworm medicine is safe for my Blue Heeler mix after reaction?

Technically, all heartworm preventatives (even those with ivermectin) are safe in dogs with an MDR1 gene mutation since the effective dose of medication in heartworm is significantly lower than that which would cause neurotoxicity. However, most vets will preferentially choose selamectin (Revolution) or milbemycin (Interceptor) based products for MDR1 mutant dogs over ivermectin (Heartgard) based products. If Tasha has historically been very sensitive to heartworm preventatives, I would advise giving her flea/tick prevention and heartworm prevention 2 weeks apart rather than simultaneously. Your vet will be able to perform a blood test for heartworm disease prior to starting Tasha on a heartworm preventative, as all are prescription based.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a good question, especially with some Australian Shepherds having a mutation of their MDR-1 gene. Fortunately, Heartgard is safe to use in these breeds for the prevention of heartworms. The amount of ivermectin contained within a monthly dose is not harmful/toxic to dogs even with the MDR-1 mutation. I would be careful to ensure that Josie does not accidentally ingest multiple months-worth of doses, as this cumulative dose could potentially be toxic to her. As far as topical flea and tick preventatives go, brands such as Frontline and K9 Advantix are also safe to use in these breeds. I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Timo. Great question! You are correct that collies can be more susceptible to ivermectin, which is one of the main ingredients in Heartgard. That being said, this lethargy, loss of appetite, and vomit can all be normal side effects of the Heartgard. If he carried the gene that made him sensitive to ivermectin, I would expect to see a reaction every time he was given it, not just on occasion. I do suspect that it's normal side effects, but you should check with his vet just to be safe. The Bravest will be fine. I hope this helps!

Hi. Unfortunately there is no "all natrual" and effective flea/tick/heartworm prevention medications. It takes an actual medication and antiparasitic medication to prevent these. The natural products you see when you look in to these are not nearly as effective or studied as those recommended by your veterinarian. This is obviously completely your decision, but from a medical standpoint I do not recommend the all all natural medications or collars for this. If your pet is having reactions to vectra and interceptor, please discontinue them and speak to your veterinarian about other options such as revolution, heart guard, simparica or Brevecto. Good luck.

One of the active drug ingredient in both meds is milbemycin, so if the allergy or reaction to was that specific drug, it would be better to avoid it. Of course we can't know that for sure. It may be that Rexy is allergic to one of the other active ingredients in trifexis, or to one of the inert ingredients. However, I think the best recommendation would be to use a prevention that does NOT contain milbemycin or praziquantel (the ingredients in Trifexis). Heartgard is a good alternative. Make sure that he is up to date on his heart worm test first. I think its fine to go ahead and get him started on a different heart worm prevention ASAP, even though he just had surgery. I hope that helps you ! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If Adam seems to have skin problems secondary to food allergies it is possible that she is reacting to the flavoring in the Bravecto and Interceptor. You may want to look into using unflavored Heartgard and something like a Seresto collar (although this could cause topical skin irritation similar to the Frontline). Unfortunately there is no chemical free heartworm preventative, and most ‘natural’ options for flea prevention contain essential oils that don’t work well and can even cause harm.

Hello. Heartguard is generally considered very safe, even in a dog with a current heart worm infection. If there was a reaction due to the presence of heartworms, it is almost always some kind of pulmonary event. So, it is possible that he has just developed a sensitivity or had a one off reaction to the Heartguard. Do think about having Buster tested before giving another pill, & do try to remember to give it every 30 days. All heartworm medications do a great job, but only if doses are not skipped, especially for dogs living in warmer climates. And if he does not seem better tomorrow, please make an appointment with your vet to have things checked out. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.