Do not use in puppies that are less than 6 weeks old.
Heartgard Plus should never be administered without first consulting your veterinarian.
Heartgard Plus should not be used in dogs with known hypersensitivity or allergy to the drug.
All dogs should be tested for existing heartworm infection before starting treatment with Heartgard Plus. Heartgard Plus is not effective against adult heartworms. Therefore, if a dog is infected they must first be treated to remove adult heartworms and microfilariae prior to being treated with Heartgard Plus.
In certain dogs, particularly of the Collie breed, the concentration of ivermectin in the central nervous tissues following treatment is apparently greater than it is in other dogs. This is usually seen at much higher dosages than the regular recommended dosage. However, this increased sensitivity can lead to a greater risk of adverse effects in these dogs. It is recommend that owners of collies watch their dogs closely for 8 hours following treatment for any signs of adverse toxic reactions.
Keep out of reach of children and pets. If ingested by humans contact a physician immediately.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.
Store Heartgard Plus in the original packaging in a dry place and protect from light. Optimal storage of Heartgard Plus is between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20 – 25 degrees Celcius) however excursions between 59 – 86 degrees Fahrenheit (15 – 30 degrees Celcius) are alright.
Do not remove chewables from the wrapper before it is time for the chewable to be administered.
Important Notice: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.
Heartgard Plus should be administered once a month, during the time of year when mosquitoes are active, at a recommended minimum dosage level of 6 mcg of ivermectin per kilogram of body weight and 5 mg of pyrantel per kilogram of body weight. A dose of 6 mcg of ivermectin per kilogram of body weight is equivalent to 2.72 mcg per pound of body weight. A dose of 5 mg of pyrantel per kilogram of body weight is equivalent to 2.27 mg per pound of body weight.
As an example, if your dog weighs 40 lbs you would simply multiply 40 lbs x 2.72 mcg/lb to get a minimum monthly dose of 108.8 mcg of ivermectin and 40lbs x 2.27 mg/lb to get a minimum monthly dose of 90.8 mg of pyrantel. Therefore, your dog would receive the Heartgard Plus Green which contains 136 mcg of ivermectin and 114 mg of pyrantel. The Heartgard Plus Blue only contains 68 mcg of ivermectin and 57 mg of pyrantel which would be below the minimum monthly dose that your dog requires.
To administer, remove only one Chewable at a time from the foil-backed blister card. Return the card with the remaining Plus to the box and return to its proper storage place (see Storage for more details). The Heartgard Plus may be offered directly to the dog by hand or it may be mixed with a small amount of dog food. The dog should be encouraged to chew rather than swallow the Heartgard Plus whole. For dogs that tend to swallow treats whole the Heartgard Plus should be broken into smaller pieces.
Take care to be sure that the dog consumes the entire Heartgard Plus and watch the dog closely for several minutes afterwards to be sure they do not lose or reject any of the Chewable. If the dog does lose or reject some of the Chewable it is recommended to give another Chewable (consult your veterinarian).
The first Heartgard Plus dose must be given within 30 days after the dogs first exposure to mosquitoes. The last Heartgard Plus dose must be given within 30 days after the dog’s last exposure to mosquitoes.
For optimal performance, Heartgard Plus must be given once a month on or about the same day each month. If the time between doses is greater than 30 days the effectiveness of Heartgard Plus can be reduced.
If you are replacing another heartworm treatment with Heartgard Plus, then the first dose of Heartgard Plus must be given within 30 days of giving the last dose of the other heartworm treatment.
Puppies should be given a dose that they can ``grow into`` because puppies grow very rapidly. Here is the reasoning for this. Each box of Heartgard Plus contains a minimum of 6 chewables which means it will last 6 months. The chewables need to be of a high enough dosage so that there is enough medication in the Heartgard Plus chewables to give your puppy the minimum dosage required during the last few months of treatment.
As an example, if your puppy starts out at 15 lbs you would think that they should receive the Heartgard Plus Blue for dogs up to 25 lbs. However, if your dog is a larger breed and will grow to 40 lbs in the next 6 months then your puppy should receive the Heartgard Plus Green to ensure that the puppy receives the minimal dosage once they surpass the 25 lb mark. You may think that they will be receiving too high of a dose at first but ivermectin has been shown to have a wide margin of safety and is quite safe even at doses up to 10 times the recommended minimum dose.
Heartgard Plus are safe for use in pregnant and breeding bitches as well as stud dogs.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.
The side effects of Heartgard Plus are rare at the recommended heartworm prevention dose.
In clinical field trials with Heartgard Plus, vomiting or diarrhea within 24 hours of dosing was observed on rare occasions (1.1% of the time).
Some of the potential Heartgard Plus side effects include:
- depression/lethargy
- vomiting
- anorexia (loss of body weight)
- diarrhea
- mydriasis (excessive dilation of the pupil)
- ataxia (gross incoordination of muscle movements)
- staggering
- convulsions
- hypersalivation
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.
Heartgard Plus work best when doses are given 30 days apart. If a dose is forgotten and a longer time than 30 days has past, give the Heartgard Plus immediately and resume the dosage regimen of one Heartgard Plus every 30 days. If more than 2 weeks have past since the Heartgard Plus dose should have been given, consult your veterinarian.
In the case of an overdose contact your veterinarian or veterinary emergency clinic immediately.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.
In clinical trials, ivermectin was administered along with many commonly used flea collars, dips, shampoos, antihelmintics, antibiotics, vaccines, and steroid preparations with no major interactions. The safety profile of Heartgard in very good.
Do not administer with other heartworm medications.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your veterinarian. You should always consult your own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the treatment of your pet.