Gizmo has been on the heartworm preventative Interceptor since we brought him home. It's a monthly pill (for those of you who don't know). Gizmo is now almost a year old, and he weighs 7.5 lbs.
The puppy contract for Gizmo has this clause in it.
"If a heartworm preventative containing Ivermectin (Heart Guard) is given to a puppy weighing less then 4 lbs, all health guarantees are void. The recommended preventative for all size yorkies is Interceptor (Ciba-Goigy)."
Now, Gizmo is well over that weight, so I am not worried about the contract.
Here's the deal...when I bought Gizmo's next 6 months of pills on Friday, the vet tech told us that our vet is switching all of his patients to Heartgard. She said that the only difference in effectiveness is that Heartgard does not kill hookworms, but that wasn't really a concern. She also said that dogs seem to like the taste of the Heartgard better. (Just FYI, Gizmo has no problem taking the Interceptor. He thinks of it as a treat.) She told me that the Interceptor will still be available, but the price will go up soon. I decided to leave him on Interceptor for this round of pills while I do the research.
Here's my question...is there recent research that supports switching that I don't know about? Is the reason the vet is switching based on the commission he receives? Do vets receive a commission of sorts for the products they sell? Would that explain the reason for the price increase in the future she mentioned?
Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
__________________
The fullness of our heart is expressed in our eyes, in our touch, in what we write, in what we say, in the way we walk, the way we receive, the way we need. -Mother Teresa (
RIP Gizmo 3/9/07-8/18/12)
