[im_nice1]

Our puppy has been with us for a month. At the first visit the vet gave us a free sample of heartguard and another for sentinal. she said that since sentinal worked for both heartworm and fleas we could give out puppy that and repeat the process on same day every month. Now we meant to order more sentinal for the coming months but forgot and now the 4 weeks are up. and petsmart said they dont carry medication. so our only choice is to order sentinal online which will take 4-5 business days. My question:

1-will not giving the med on the exact date harm the puppy?

2-if its essential to give the med on the exact same day then can I give the other sample heartguard med to her this month and switch back to sentinal next month?


Please could anybody knowledgeable answer! .....would be v grateful

 

[agility collie mom]

What breed puppy? As long as puppy is not a collie, sheltie, border collie or aussie mix you can give the heartguard and switch back to the sentinel next month. You just won't have flea prevention for the month you do the heartguard or you can wait until the sentinal comes and just give the dose then.

 

[im_nice1]

Thanks for your reply, agilitycolliemom!

we got our puppy from the shelter so we dont know what she is. She is supposed to be a lab mix (said the shelter ppl) and the her vet conjectured that she seems to have a collie mix too.

why should'nt collies be given heartguard? and I got the feeling from your reply that its not an emergency if she is given her sentinal 5 days later. (being a newbie I assumed that it was). thanks for replying and settling my panic somewhat.

 

[Poly]

This is where you need a vet who is knowledgeable about breed responses to medications. BCs, aussies, and similar breeds and mixes happen to be sensitive to one of the the active ingredients in Heartgard and some other brands - ivermectin. Although the dose is very low in these meds and some owners do use them with no problem, many owners prefer to use a med with a different active ingredient.

Interceptor or Sentinel are generally recommended heartworm preventatives for these breeds because they do not contain ivermectin. They aren't equivalent to each other because they use different ingredients. They tend to be more expensive. Some vets consider that either one does a better overall job compared to the ivermectin products so they do recommend them ahead of the others for all breeds.

Your vet should explain all this to you so you can make an informed decision.

However, I do have to say that something here confuses me. I don't know where you are located, but generally you need a prescription from a vet to purchase heartworm preventatives. When you went in to get the prescription, why didn't you get a supply at that time if time was tight? Just curious.

 

[im_nice1]

Poly..thanks a lot for the info!

the vet gave us just some samples of the heartworm medicine and a card for future discounts on the med when we order in online. no prescription. maybe we were supposed to get the prescription from the vet's assistant/reception though she didnt say so. and being complete newbie dog owners we had no idea that this was a prescription med and wouldnt just be available everywhere. must've been a glitch from our side..and i guess we need to go back to the vet and ask.

Oh and we are located in Atlanta.

 

[craven.44]

Sentinel covers dogs for 45 days. So you should be fine. You can also usually just go to the vet and pick it up same day.

 

[Poly]

Poly..thanks a lot for the info!

the vet gave us just some samples of the heartworm medicine and a card for future discounts on the med when we order in online. no prescription. maybe we were supposed to get the prescription from the vet's assistant/reception though she didnt say so. and being complete newbie dog owners we had no idea that this was a prescription med and wouldnt just be available everywhere. must've been a glitch from our side..and i guess we need to go back to the vet and ask.

Oh and we are located in Atlanta.

You are welcome.

If you want to order your heartworm meds online, some online pharmacies will contact your vet and ask for an OK from them. Just remember that your vet doesn't have to give his OK at their request and many won't. However, they do have to give you a prescription or fax one in if you (the owner) request it.

Personally, I've found that the difference in price on prescription medications isn't all that much. Especially since many vets will actually refill the prescription on-line

On non-prescription meds such as flea & tick products, you do save a lot by ordering them on-line.

 

[im_nice1]

Craven-That was great info abt 45 days. specially since we have to wait till sat. to go to the vet.

Poly-Thanks for all that info..which we totally didnt know. well..one lives and learns

thanks all...

 

[allaboutpoodles]

Heartworm is contracted by a mosquito bite and as long as there is not a chance of your puppy being bitten by a mosquito, you can start right back on the preventative.

Heartworm preventatives actually work backwards, you are not preventing heartworm for the future 30 days, you are preventing heartworm for the previous 30 days.

 

[im_nice1]

Thanks dogtrng: we got sentinal from the vet and gave it to our puppy.

allaboutpoodles: that was awesome info. and will be so helpful in the future.