Flea and heartworm meds, tips to savd

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

I use Revolution for my dogs flea, tick and heartworm preventive. It is not cheap especially with two dogs. Talking to my sister, who works at a vets, suggested that next time I need the product to get the highest dosage. Using a syringe to measure the dose, split it between both dogs. Some vets are receptive while others are not. The manufacturer will also not guarentee since they go by products purchased. Something for those with multiple pets to consider.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

ID2 · ‎06-25-2012

Eh I definitely would talk to my vet before buying the highest dosage and start splitting it!

"Pure Michigan"

chiclet · ‎03-19-2010

I went to a vet for 30+ years and he always sold me the large size and gave me the syringes and told me how to split it etc. Unfortunately he has passed away. He was all about helping you help your dogs. I don't know if vets now will do that. Having a dog is very expensive. We have three little ones and now that we are retired it really helps to find ways to save but not endanger our dogs health.

candys mine · ‎08-20-2012

I can see problems with the Vet doing that legaly. If they document Fluffy in their records as weighing 15Lbs and dispense a 'Single dose medication" for a 50-100lb dog then if Fluffy reacted badly to it they have practiced bad medicine by overdosing your dog, even if You yourself are dividing the dose. They are on record as having sold you the wrong dose. The manufacturer won't gaurantee their product and the Vet may be up for review by doing that. Just saying I see their point if they won't do it.

Karlakaye · ‎03-10-2010

@CrazyDaisy I did that for several years with my two cairn terriers---bought the med on ebay. I never had a problem and didn't think of it as anything other than a little bit of trouble and MUCH less expensive.. They came with a dropper bottle and small vials well marked for the filling level. The sellers all had large numbers of good feedback. Now, with one dog, I just buy it locally.

KK

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

@ID2 wrote:
Eh I definitely would talk to my vet before buying the highest dosage and start splitting it!

Revolution is by prescription only so the vet would be involved in the process.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

@candys mine wrote:
I can see problems with the Vet doing that legaly. If they document Fluffy in their records as weighing 15Lbs and dispense a 'Single dose medication" for a 50-100lb dog then if Fluffy reacted badly to it they have practiced bad medicine by overdosing your dog, even if You yourself are dividing the dose. They are on record as having sold you the wrong dose. The manufacturer won't gaurantee their product and the Vet may be up for review by doing that. Just saying I see their point if they won't do it.

It only makes sense if you are splitting the dose between dogs at the same time. Why would you buy a such a large dose for one dog. Your vet would be involved to show you how to measure and administer.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

@Karlakaye wrote:
@CrazyDaisy I did that for several years with my two cairn terriers---bought the med on ebay. I never had a problem and didn't think of it as anything other than a little bit of trouble and MUCH less expensive.. They came with a dropper bottle and small vials well marked for the filling level. The sellers all had large numbers of good feedback. Now, with one dog, I just buy it locally.

KK

Revolution is by prescription so the vet would be involved. I have 2 dogs and would pay $120 each for a 6 month supply. It is $160 for both if I split the larger dosage. The range on the dosage I currently get is 40 lbs to 85 lbs. With one dog at 42 and the other 60, it gives a little more customization so not to continually over dose.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

Havarti · ‎03-08-2014

Heartworm medicine can be very expensive. J R Enterprises in Louisiana – heartwormprevention - sells a 60 ml. bottle of generic ivermectin (the stuff in Heartgard) for only $25 – that bottle could last years. The rescue where I volunteer told me about this as it is something they use – having so many animals to cover. I started using it a couple of years ago for my 3 dogs and it has saved me so much money, yet gets them all the protection. If you have any questions about dosage, do NOT guesstimate – contact them for the exact amount you will need – they are very helpful (many pets need just a small fraction of a ml - not a whole ml. and the overdose differece can be deadly. It is a liquid, and they provide the syringe with measurements on it (if you have a small dog request the small syringe)…you just squirt some in their mouth once a month and they are covered. As I stated, too much can be deadly so wear your "readers" if you have the to make sure you see the exact measurement/dose you are giving.

Snarky responders need not reply. Move along and share your views elsewhere.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

Whew, I would never ever think of doing this. When choosing to have a pet (or pets), the cost of ownership is something that must be considered BEFOREHAND. Flame away, but IMO, it's selfish, careless, and irresponsible to take on more pets than one can practically afford and owners who are splitting poisonous and potentially deadly medications are putting their dogs at risk every month when they administer the medicaion by cutting corners like this. I hate the thought of giving my dog poison at all, but I also hate the thought of him getting fleas and ticks, which would be a sure thing where I live. I once had a friend who never treated her dog and he ended up with heartworm. It made me just shake my head that she was so careless with him. I knew that whenever we got a dog, I was going to do all I could to keep them healthy, to the best of my ability. My dog gets a topical flea & tick prevention treatment and a Heartgard chew every month. At least I have the reassurance that the particular vial I use topically or the chewable treat I give him has been manufactured with the right amount of medicine for his weight so he isn't under or over medicated. It would surely seem to me that the vets who go along with this are taking a big risk and they are relying on their owner-customers to get it right every single time. All it might take is one slip up, not reading the marking on the syringe accurately, getting distracted by something (phone, doorbell, small child, etc.) and the dog could end up paying the price, all in the name of saving a few bucks. Our dogs (and other pets) end up in our families because we make the choice to take them in. They are fully dependent on us for everything and if it can't be done right, then either don't have any or just have one.