Interceptor vs Heartgard Plus
 

The day I took Sophie to be spayed, I had to also pick up their Interceptor and Flea meds.since I had a manufacturer's coupon I gave it to the receptionist and she gave me all the post op. instructions receipts and the bag with meds.Once I got in the car I realized that she hd given me Heartgard instead, I called back and they had already sent for the rebate, but told me that the DR. said it was fine to give it to Max and Sophie, if they have any adverse reaction I could bring it and they would take it back and give me Interceptor. Just by her mentioning "adverse reaction" had made me reluctant to give it to them, Im 1 week late and don't know what to do.
I need your opinion. Has anyone had any problems with Heartgard? Compared to Interceptor ?:confused:

Heartgard is a great drug. No worries.
They all can cause adverse reactions, so I think the receptionist was just speaking in general about their policy.

I used Heartguard for years with no problems. I personally would go ahead and use it. The only reason I switched from Heartguard to Interceptor was because after I moved and changed vets, my new vet didn't carry Heartguard (at that time - he does now).

So I should give it to them now that it is still early "just in case" .What should I look for, and how soon the adverse reaction, if any, will show. Can they still have a reaction tomorrow?

One more question !:D She gave me the one for up to 25 lbs.when the interceptor is up to 10 lbs, she said that I could cut it in half and give 1 to Sophie (8 lbs) and the other half to Max ( 5 lbs)I want to make sure that by doing this Im not under medicating, or if I give the whole thing, it would be too much, specially for Max.Im used to the small pill of Interceptor, and Heargard looks like a brick

The reason I use Interceptor over Heartgard Plus is because it comes in a dose for smaller dogs, like you mentioned (2-10 lbs), AND because it protects against roundworms, hookworms, and WHIPWORMS (Heartgard Plus doesn't protect against whipworms, which are difficult to detect and can be deadly!) That being said, and even though my preference is Interceptor (for the above reasons), I don't think it would hurt your furbabies to use the Heartgard Plus...and it makes me feel even better about it that you were told to give them each 1/2. I know lots and lots of people use Heartgard Plus with great results. (But truthfully, if it were me, I'd go back and get the Interceptor...it was their mistake, not yours! But I'm funny like that ;) )

What do you mean give it to them early just in case?

It can cause a reaction at any time. If the first 2-3 dosings go well, then I doubt you will have any major problems. A reaction can happen minutes to years after any drug. It just depends on the type of reaction. The immediate life threatening type...I'd watch closely for a few hours. Don't expect anything to happen though...

Some sites on the internet say don't give half the dose because the Ivermection is unevenly injected into the pill. But then somebody's vet said they talked to Merial and that isn't true. I couldn't tell you for sure. Personally, I don't split heartworm meds. It's too serious. But I won't say to ignore your vet either... You can always call the company.

The Heartgard does look like you are giving more drug, but then the up to 10 pound Interception supposedly contains 4/5 more drugs than what is needed to kill heartworm larvae just to be able to say that it controls intestinal parasites. Sooo, the dosing isn't a major concern, IMO.

People on YT usually recommend Interceptor because it seems to cause less reactions in small dogs (very subjective), but that doesn't mean Heartgard is best. I have given the plain Heartgard to Ellie and would again.

Interception? Oh my goodness...back to bed for me.:rolleyes:

And bad, not best.

Need caffeine.

I dont like to try anything new, either on Friday, with the weekend coming, or in the afternoon, in case I need to call the vet. I got used to this when my kids were small, now I do the same with the furkids ;-)

I already gave it to them and they loved the taste. they are both in the "seat"position, waiting for more.
Thank you all for your opinion. I'll keep my eyes open for anything different and will keep you all posted.

Oooo, I do that too. When Ellie is getting a new drug, I ask her vet to stay by the phone. lol

I have been using Heartgard Plus for the past 12 years and never had a problem. I even give it to my puppies as early as 6 weeks, but I cut them in half also and use only a half per dog. Of course having several dogs, it helps using only a half per dog.

We use interceptor (or Interception if you are Ellie May's mom) - never have had any problems.

I've had my soda and it's all good now. :)

LOL!!! :p

Oh no, I never had any problems with "Interception" either LOL, it was just a misunderstanding. I gave then the cuppon for Frontline+ and there was also one for Heartgard, when she asked , "are you also taking Heartgard?" ( since I wasn't familiar with that name) I assumed she was asking if I was going to take Heart guard as "heart worm guard"so I said yes... :( but so far they are acting normal. Now what worries me is all the things that FL covers, that HG doesn't.

there are a ton of vets who pick HG first and many dogs do sooo well on it. I wouldn't worry about it. You can always deworm with something that will do whipworms if you are nervous.

Well I can't tell you about Interception because that is only something Crystal and Ellie May can comment on - before they have their caffeinated beverage.

Here in the Bumpkins household, we use InterceptOR and we use Frontline Plus for fleas and ticks and crap.

Is this something I can do now just to prevent, or to give if at anytime the get it( whipworms)?

Panacur or Drontal would take care of it. Some vets give these as preventatives and some wait for a positive fecal. Whatever you're comfortable with...

Whipworms are super hard to detect...it's the rounds and hooks that you'd notice. :( I'm not sure how you'd know, unless maybe it gives them diarrhea or something. I should have googled it to see what the symptoms were before I posted ;) I think the point is moot anyway...you have the HG, so I think you're fine! (Whipworms must not be all that common??)

NOW, you're doing Heartgard AND Fronline + right?? They're for 2 completely separate things....

Yes I am. Here in Florida I have to use something for fleas and ticks, and Frontline has worked for us, of course, we have to treat the back yard, clean constantly and still use the Dawn detergent once in a while...fleas are relentless :eek:

:( That stinks!! I use Interceptor (for heartworms, etc...) and Frontline (for fleas and ticks)...BUT, I use the Frontline spray!! It's soooo much cheaper than the squeeze "drops"! A bottle costs about $30, and the directions are 1 spray per pound, so it lasts a long time! In fact, I just threw away my 1st bottle, and I've had it for 2 yrs. And for quite awhile I was spraying way more than I needed too :eek: The reason I'm suggesting the spray, besides that it's just more cost-effective, is that you said you still sometimes have to use the Dawn. Vets use the spray as a quick way to control fleas on a dog that has an infestation. Soooo, you may be able to do a couple of sprays and be done with it....sort of like a touch up. The spray works exactly like the drops....it is absorbed into their sebaceous glands and then gets distributed over their entire skin surface by the oils the glands secrete. I was originally told to spray her down until she was damp all over (by the 1st vet Bella saw), thus the using way more than I needed to. Now, however, I lay her face down on the floor and spray a stream down her spine from neck to tail, just 4 sprays because she's 4 lbs., and then I brush her until she dries, which is just a few min. (That's another reason I like the spray over the "drops"....it isn't greasy/oily and dries so fast!!) Most vets that sell Frontline sell the spray too...but for quite a bit more than you can get it online. Here's where I typically get it if you're interested: Frontline Spray or Frontline Spray (looks like they're on back order right now :( I get the 250mL bottle..that's what lasted me 2 yrs for a 4 lb. dog. Note: The same bottle that sells for $27.99 on the website above, sells at my old vet for $46!!! :eek: Talk about a mark up!!)

I know this is old, but I need to amend my statement...

For Frontline spray, you do have to get them damp all over for it to work all over. I spoke with Merial (the manufacturer) today, and found out that the spray doesn't contain the same...travelling??...agents as the drops. The drops you put in one spot, they are absorbed into the skin and oil glands, and then "travels" and is distributed through the oils over the whole body. The spray does NOT travel...wherever you get damp is where it stays put. It's absorbed just into the skin, apparently. It does still protect for 30 days, and it does still kill fleas and ticks by contact...they do NOT have to bite to die!!

Ok, just needed to make sure I don't lead anyone astray!

Well it sounds like it would be way too easy to lick then. I couldn't trust it if that's the case... Just had a convo with Ellie's vet about flea meds. It is becoming more apparent that fleas are becoming resistant to fipronil anyway. So more and more vets will probably be moving away from it. Sentinel (Program) is supposed to be a good replacement right now (but she is waiting on info about it and then she'll pass it on...).

And the spray doesn't have methoprene, does it?

I've just started using Best Yet spray for fleas and other biting bugs. It is supposed to keep mosquitos off, too, but I don't want to press my luck considering where I live. I also know the boys need parasite prevention, so I guess Inteceptor it is!

That's interesting. I've never heard that. I've been using the spray for almost 2 years and I haven't seen a single flea or tick in that time (& we do have a lot of both here in Oklahoma). I have always sprayed only behind the neck, between the shoulder blades - the same place I used to apply the drops. And I only apply half of what the spray bottle directions say to use.

Well, as long as it's working I'll keep using it. I really prefer the spray over the drops because it's so much easier to control the dosage.

Thanks for the information! :)

The spray does NOT have methoprene in it! (The methoprene in the PLUS is what kills the eggs and larvae, which is why the spray only kills adults. But the spray does kill ticks too, within 48 hrs.)

I'm not sure about the licking....that does make sense though. But then it would make sense for all the drops as well since they continuously redistribute the meds over the skin through the oils. Hmmm, good point about the licking....

The reason I don't like Sentinel (Program) is that it's systemic and stays in the blood stream!! :eek: AND, the flea has to bite and ingest that blood in order to die. Whereas the topical ones aren't systemic and will die without biting. Although, if fleas are becoming resistant to fiprinil, then what other choice do we have....?? :confused:


You're welcome! We actually just moved to WI from OK! :D When I 1st started using Frontline spray, I was told by my vet to get her damp all over. Over time, I reasoned myself out of doing that, because I thought the reason for dampening them all over was just to control a flea infestation (which is what vets use it in office for), and I figured that if it's absorbed, then it must redistribute like the drops. According to Merial, that is NOT the case, HOWEVER I have been spray Bella right down the spine for a long time now. And I hadn't seen a single flea until a few weeks ago, when I did find 1 lone flea on her, but it wasn't doing so well. It was empty, so it hadn't bit her, and I flea combed her 3 separate times over 24 hrs and didn't find any more. I'm a little skeptical about what I was told today, given those facts. The question is, do I keep doing what I've been doing?? Or do I do what Merial says...which means I'll have to spray WAY more to dampen her whole body! :eek: I just don't like that....really, I don't like any of our options. :( Ugh!!!! (Also, I'm worried more about ticks here than I was in OK because there are deer everywhere here!! And there must be a bigger focus on wildlife/land preservation here because even though we're in the city, we're surrounded by wooded areas. We don't go IN the wooded areas, but they're near enough that I'm certain deer go where we go! So, I want her prevention to include tick prevention....but therein lies the rub!:confused:)

Program wouldn't work for you anyway b/c it isn't for ticks. It's unfortunate that they'd have to bite, but if they are becoming resistant to the current topicals (and isn't Program supposed to be pretty darn safe), then i dunno.

Shouldn't really need the methoprene as long as they aren't constantly exposed to fleas. I mean, if an adult gets on them once in awhile, there is probably no reason for it. But then if it is a fairly uncommon occurrence, Dawn might as well be used... I think the FL drops dsitribute intradermally. They must b/c the whole coat those smell like FL or anything. The spray would be on top of the skin and could be licked off. I just wouldn't be comfortable putting it anywhere where they can lick or scratch.

Oh, no, the spray is subdermal as well. It dries within 20 min, and you can't smell a thing after it's dry. According to the lady I spoke with at Merial, once it's dry, it's absorbed and the dog can be bathed. Since it's effective even after multiple baths, just like the drops, I don't think it can be licked off. Now that you said that, I feel a little better. Maybe the best solution would be to make sure it's completely dry and then bathe them the same day....that way you wash away any residue they could potentially be scratched or licked, but then after a bath they wouldn't be able to.

I've never heard anything about the safety of Program, so maybe it would be just fine. Except for the ticks, hmmmm.... Man!!! I've actually not seen a tick here at all yet, so maybe the FL spray IS working??! Although, the vet did say that ticks are the worse typically in the spring and especially the fall.... Well, since what I've been doing seems to be working, just spraying down the back, I think I'm just going to continue doing what I'm doing. If it ain't broke don't fix it, right?! :rolleyes: I dunno about that... I AM definitely going to be more vigilant about looking for fleas/ticks though. I think I'll make brushing and flea combing our routine when we come in from playing outside (although not just from pottying...that would be crazy! :p) If I ever notice fleas or ticks, I'm definitely gonna have to re-evaluate....I'll either have to start spraying her all over, OR I'll have to change to something else because the fleas are fiprinil resistant. :(