Equine wormers used on cats and dogs??

[opie744]

I talked to a person that said they use the generic equine ivermectin on dogs and cats to worm. Has anyone heard of this. I have some left over from the horses too but worried if it would really be safe......... [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[Fred]

I've heard of it and it's safe if used properly in most cases. At least as safe as any wormer. There could always be a reaction.
I have a pretty long article that was posted on one of the other boards I frequent. Take it for what it's worth.

Directly from handbook of veterinary drugs, second
edition. This book is a widely used veterinary formulary.
"Ivermectin (Heartgard, Ivomec, Eqvalan)
Indications: Ivermectin is used for the eradication of demodectic,
sarcoptic, Otodectic, and Cheyletiella mites in dogs. It has also been
used in the treatment of Capillaria aerophila and is marketed for the
prevention of canine heartworm[Heartgard]. The drug has been used as a
microfilaricide in heartworm disease. In fact, ivermectin has been shown
to be effective against heartworm infection when 1 year of monthly
prophylactic dosing is started as late as 4 months after infection. In
cats, the drug has been used inn the treatment of ear mites Cheyletiella
blakei, Physaloptera preputailis, Demodex, and fleas."
These organisms listed are mange mites, ear mites, lung worms,
heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and whipworms. I think that pretty much
takes care of everything except tape worms. The method needed to kill
tapeworms is different than the way ivermectin works.
Now for the adverse effects from the Handbook of Small Animal Practice,
third edition.
"Adverse Drug Reactions:
Ivermectin: Anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, ataxia, seizures."
Now that is widely excepted published material used by veterinarians all
over the country.
I have also heard of severe liver disease in dogs given large over doses
over long periods of time. You must also be very careful about giving
this drug to sighthounds and collies, in these breeds ivermectin can
cause severe reactions.
You use the injectable cattle or
swine form of ivermectin orally in the dog. Make sure you have calculated
the correct dose. If you give the same amount that is incorporated in
Heartgard, you would give 0.27 ml for a 50-100lb dog.
that amount can be given mixed with anything to taste better, or
straight, or it can be given subcutaneously.
I personally use Pro Heart 6 injectable for my hounds.
About the old standard of 1/10cc for 10 lbs of body weight.
The proven dose for 50-100lb dog is 0.272cc This is the amount of ivermectin in Heartgard. So if you have a 50-80lb dog, you will give 1/4cc (0.25ml) of 1 % Ivomec for cattle or 1cc of .27% Ivomec for pigs.. monthly. giving 0.1cc per 10 lbs of body weight is too much. It may not do anything bad, but why use more than you need?


Actually you should give less than you have said here. My vet and I went over it and figured it out according to the product labels.
If you look at Heartgard, it has 272 mcg (micrograms) of ivermectin for the 50 to 100 lb dogs. A microgram is 1/1000 of a mg (milligram). If you look at the product label for IVOMEC 1% swine injection, it states that 1 mL will deliver 10 mg (or milligrams) of ivermectin.
So - 1 mL (which is equal to 1 cc) contains 10,000 mcg (or micrograms) of ivermectin. A dog only needs 3 micrograms per pound of body weight per month to keep them heartworm free.
So - if 1 cc = 10000 mcg, we can bring that number down by mixing it with propylene glycol - which actually works as a carrier agent for the ivermectin. 9 parts propylene glycol to 1 part IVOMEC. That will deliver 1000 mcg of ivermectin per 1 cc. So then, you only give .1 cc of the mixed down IVOMEC per 30 lbs of body weight. You give it orally.
If you use it for intestinal worms, it is a much higher dose - I am not sure of the proper dose. We prefer to use pyrantel pamoate or fenbendazole for intestinal worms.
The main breeds you have to worry about with it is Collies. They have a sensitivity to ivermectin and it can kill them at the higher dosages

[ObedienceGoldens]

I wouldn't use it on my gang unless it said ok to use on cats & dogs

[JimW]

Small correction, but I'd hate to see you under dose and have it not work. Although with the variance they give it may not matter.

1 milligram = 1,000 microgram

Each mL (or CC) of IVOMEC contains 10 mg of ivermectin

So 1CC contains 10,000 mcg of ivomectin

at 2.72mcg per 1 pound of body weight, that's 27.2mcg for every 10 pounds, so a 50 pound dog gets 136mcg, which is .136mg. The heartguard label starts that dosage at 25lbs up to 50lbs, and then doubles it at 51lbs.
Rounding off, that's .3mg from 51-100 pounds.

.03CC's, mixed 1:9 with prop-glycol means .3 CC's of the mixture for a 51-100 pound dog IF you are sticking to the Heartguard dosage, which they have tested at 10 times the dosage without findiing toxicity in collie breeds

Your numbers have you using .2 at 60 pounds, about 1/3 less than the Heartguard dosage would be.

The original post that you quoted seems to have been miscalculated based on the label, and would give 10 times the dosage of Heartguard, but if I recall correctly, that initial post came from a Vet... go figure.

Jim

[MDSteve]

We use it on our dogs but not any of the barn cats. We use the wormers that you dial in the dose for the horse and Charlie is a little smaller so it leaves 2 clicks one for each dog.
We do this every six weeks.

Steve

[Nutmeg]

sites that are very helpful to animal owners

http://www.merckvetmanuel.com/mvm/index.jsp

http://www.woodlandnaturalremedies.com/index.htm

http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/index.htm

[BlueRidge]

Why bother?


Garlic works very well. Much cheaper, and you don't have to worry about overdosing or side effects.


Well, except for some atrocious doggy wind! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[tbolt]

I use generic 1% Ivomec on my dogs because I have it around for goats. I give 1cc and mix it in their feed for a 50-80 lb. dog. If your dog is heartworm positive when you give it to it, it could surely kill it. If you keep your dogs on heartworm preventive then theres no real need for another wormer. I use interceptor in the summer months and ivomec in the winter. The vet will tell you not to do this because of mosquito infestation in the winter. I do it anyway and my dogs live to be pretty old. Havent had but one to check pos. for heartworms and I bought it that way. It never would fatten up after deworming it twice with ivomec and valbazen so I carried it to the vet. They said I was lucky it didnt die from the IVOMEC. By the way, it had no intestinal parasites.