Oral ivermectin is generally given to dogs suffering from mange infections. It’s also used as a heartworm preventive medication. The medication is approved for use by the FDA when it’s administered in low doses. Since ivermectin is known to cause a few side effects, it’s important to administer drugs that contain ivermectin in the appropriate manner.
There are several commercially available medications that contain ivermectin in the oral form. Some drugs are used in combination with other active ingredients in order to treat multiple medical conditions.
Ivermectin in oral form is available as:
- Heartgard Plus Chewables
- Iverhart Plus Chewables
- Dog Heartgard Chewables
- Tri-Heart Plus
Heartgard Plus Chewables
Heartgard plus is a chewable tablet that’s beef flavored. It’s easy to administer to pets that are at risk of heartworm infections. It also prevents your pet from developing roundworm and hookworm infections.
Heartgard blue chewable tablets contain 68 mcg of ivermectin while the green chewables contain 136 mcg of ivermectin. The Heartgard brown chewables have 272 mcg of ivermectin. You should make sure you buy the right box so that you don’t overdose your pet.
Iverhart Plus Chewables
Like Heartgard Plus Chewables, Iverhart Plus Chewables is a preventive medication for heartworm, roundworm and hookworm infections. This medication is pork flavored and contains the same active ingredients as Heartgard Plus Chewables. You could administer these chewable tablets to your pet if he doesn’t like the beef-flavored chewables.
You must make sure that your pet consumes the entire dose so that the medication takes effect.
Dog Heartgard Chewables
This medication is a preventive heartworm medication that requires a prescription from the vet. It’s safe for use in pets that are more than 6 weeks old. It contains the single active ingredient Ivermectin and it should be administered exactly according to the instructions that are listed on the package.
The medication is available in different potencies and you should purchase the box that’s suited to your pet’s weight.
Tri-Heart Plus
Tri-Heart Plus contains a combination of two active ingredients namely, ivermectin and pyrantel. This medication is sold in varying potencies. The Blue box is for small pets, the green box is for pets that weigh between 26 and 50 pounds and the brown box is for large dogs that weigh between 51 and 100 pounds.
Side Effects of Ivermectin
If you do not administer the medication in the appropriate manner, your pet may show signs of weight loss, tremors and even death. The dog’s pupils may also get dilated. Drugs that contain ivermectin shouldn’t be given in conjunction with other heartworm preventive medications. You should also avoid overdosing your pet as this may lead to vomiting and diarrhea. Some dogs may even show signs of lack of proper coordination due to an overdose.
You must make sure that you test your pet for heartworm infections before you start administering any heartworm preventive medications. There are a few topical solutions that contain Ivermectin as the active ingredient. These solutions are generally prescribed to pets suffering from demodectic and sarcoptic mange infections.