Problems with getting Interceptor ....

[T-Bone]

Is anyone experiencing problems with getting INTERCEPTOR from your vet? I was just given a 30 minute lecture from my vet about assembly line problems blah blah and alternatives that will cost me more money.

What say ye?

[music_man]

Had same problem recently.
My vet said they (interceptor) screwed something up and Novartis (SP?)shut them down. Not real sure about all the details, but I hope they get it resolved.
I'm seriously considering going back to what I used for 15 years on coon dogs and labs with absolutely no problems with heart worms (or any other worms)!!! Ivermectin and valbazen mixture. I have several buddies with LARGE kennels (coon dogs) and this is what they have used for years. They also never had a problem. With all these dogs contracting heart worms while they are on a reputable heart worm preventative, it just has me thinking.
Most heartworm meds are $40/6 months and higher. This mixture costs around $50 for 4 or 5 years on multiple dogs.
I use to treat 3 coon dogs and a lab and it averaged out to around $12/year for all 4.
Look on MOST heart worm preventatives and you will see ivermectin as a key ingredient! It's what kills the heart worms! Then you have other ingredients to kill the other worms (hook worms, whip worms, etc.) That's where the valbazen comes in.
The old standard mixture is 10:1 Valbazen to ivermectin
Then administer 1cc/10lbs of body weight per month orally. I always kept my mixture in the fridge. Another thing I would do is go by a feed/seed store and they buy just what I needed of each instead of buying the whole bottle. I would figure what I would need for about a year and only buy that amount. That way my ivermectin or valbazen never went out of date. Just something to consider.

[Karen Klotthor]

I have used Ivimectin for about 20yrs. You are right about being cheap. I only have one dog now and normally only 2 so it last fo several years. Of course my girl does not sleep out at night . I have never had any problems with any kind of worms.

[SkippyJ]

Straight ivermectin.

[music_man]

Just know that there are a few worms that ivermectin won't kill. And, straight ivermectin is not good on a dog's stomach over time. The valbazen not only helps prevent those worms ivermectin won't kill, but it also helps the ivermectin not be as tough on the dog's stomach.
Also, what do y'all administer ? Cc/lb of body weight.

[levi127]

Novartis did shut them down. But the down side to that was they hurt theirselves also. We deal with distribution of the novartis stuff and it came to a halt maybe 7 months ago. Gment stopped it for something. But now charters are coming in of this stuff left and right.
I can say this expect the prices to go up. They lost no telling how much money an customers bc of the shut down. But it is back now and going all over again.

[rsm688]

From what I have been told by drug reps is that it should be coming back, the FDA just causing problems as usual. They had a problem with something in their human line of drugs in the same facility that caused them to have to shut the entire place down.

Straight ivermectin will work, however there has been a lot of resistance to many of the heartworm medicines. Moxidectin seems to be by far the best (ProHeart 6 which is an injectable 6 month prevention or Advantage Multi). I personally use ProHeart on all my dogs just because i always forget to put on the advantage every month.

Sure ivermectin is a lot cheaper, but keep in mind the cost of heartworm treatment for a lab can range from $800-1500 and requires them staying in a crate or small confined space for weeks.

[cheeko]

Just know that there are a few worms that ivermectin won't kill. And, straight ivermectin is not good on a dog's stomach over time. The valbazen not only helps prevent those worms ivermectin won't kill, but it also helps the ivermectin not be as tough on the dog's stomach.
Also, what do y'all administer ? Cc/lb of body weight.

Inject and there will not be any stomach issue's. If u don't like needles then get vet to mix with syrup or vitiams. The worms that ivermectin want kill , give Valbazen . It will.
JMO

[cdwyer]

One of the vets we use told me this week it would no longer be available and once their supply was gone, that would be it. Maybe with what I read above, they have chosen not reorder if it is in fact going to be available again?

[Chesapeake9487]

Unless you properly clean the injection area, use a new needle for each dog and use something like Nolvasan each time to clean the top of the bottle there is no reason to inject. There is no benefit to injection methods. Oral dosing will not hurt a dogs stomach. Lots of research on 10+ year old dogs receiving almost 1 cc/ml every DAY, and blood panels done frequently show no signs of harm done. Give it orally. You are just asking for infection.

[music_man]

Unless you properly clean the injection area, use a new needle for each dog and use something like Nolvasan each time to clean the top of the bottle there is no reason to inject. There is no benefit to injection methods. Oral dosing will not hurt a dogs stomach. Lots of research on 10+ year old dogs receiving almost 1 cc/ml every DAY, and blood panels done frequently show no signs of harm done. Give it orally. You are just asking for infection.

Thanks!

I have also "heard" that straight ivermectin given orally can cause a male dog to become sterile.
Here is what I know for a fact about using ivermectin given orally:
1. Most all heartworm meds you purchase use ivermectin as the key ingredient.
2. I have 5 friends that have had coon hound kennels for 20+ years each. (some longer) None of them have EVER had a dog test positive for heartworms!
3. I used this (ivermectin/valbazen) on 3 coondogs and a lab for 5 years and never tested positive either!

I'm glad to hear that the oral method won't hurt the dog's stomach!

[bhuggins]

I think Interceptor will be back, it's just a matter of when. I personally have had to find an alternative for all my Interceptor clients, so I don't plan on carrying it anymore when it does return. Most are going to Trifexis, which is the flea/heartworm preventative combo. It contains milbemycin, which is the heartworm preventative in Interceptor. It is more expensive.

Other choices are Heartgard, ProHeart 6, or Advantage Multi or there are several generics for Heartgard available now.

Oral or injectable ivermectin is effective. Be careful not to overdose. It will cause some nasty side effects of overdosed.

[levi127]

Another option is Olive Leaf that you buy at any store. Its cheap and kills any and all worms.
I give all my dogs this. Just put it in a treat or in their food when you feed them. Give 1 pill a day basically.

[Bayou Beagle]

Advantage Multi

[franny131]

I use Advantage Multi for one dog, can't afford it on all of them. A lady told me recently the 6 mos injection was costing her about 30, does that sound right? That might be ok and less than AM. Anyone tried the new stuff I saw at the vet's Trefexis? My grandson is using it, but he only has 3 dogs, at 109 per 6 mo per dog, too high for me.