Novartis manufactures Interceptor, which is a treatment for dogs that is designed to prevent internal parasites.
More than one parasite is killed by Interceptor; heart worm, two kinds of roundworm, hookworms and whipworms.
Novartis make Interceptor flavor tabs for dogs and also cats (although in the case of interceptor for cats, the drug only protects against heartworm, adult roundworms and adult hookworms.
Heartworm disease is often fatal in dogs if not detected and treated in time, so it is essential that all pets be administered some type of heartworm preventative medication.
The incidents of dogs reacting poorly to Interceptor were very low in trials.
In trails, Interceptor administered at ten times the recommended dosage did not produce any side effects in cats. (However, you should not allow your pets to become over dosed at home!)
Depression/lethargy, vomiting, ataxia, diarrhea, convulsions, weakness and hyper-salivation are among the reported side effects in the few cases of adverse reactions.
Interceptor heartworm medication is essentially milbemycin oxime in differing doses, according to the weight of dog you are treating.
Recommended dosages for dogs by weight are as follows: 2.3mg color coded brown for dogs from 2 - 10lbs, 5.75mg coded green for dogs 11-25lbs, 11.5mg coded yellow for dogs 26-50lbs, and 23.0mg coded white for dogs 51-100lbs.
Interceptor Flavor Tabs are a convenient way of packaging the medication into a yummy snack for your dog.
Owners should give their dogs the correct Interceptor dose on a monthly basis and should watch closely to make sure that the entire tablet has been ingested.
In the unlikely case it hasn't, the dose will need to be made up.
Interceptor heartworm preventative should not be used on puppies of less than four weeks of age and less than 2lbs of body weight.
Once dogs have reached the minimum age and weight requirements, they should have a negative heartworm test prior to starting on Interceptor heartworm preventative treatment.
Interceptor faces competition from Heartgard Plus, Iverhart Plus and Sentinel.
All come in a flavored tab format that can be administered directly to your pet.
Lufenuron, a compound used for flea control, has been added to Sentinel to make it an effective flea treatment as well as a heartworm preventative medication.
Heartgard and Iverhart contain ivermectin to protect against heartworms and pyrantel to prevent some types of intestinal worms.
Enterceptor and Sentinel include whipworms in their spectrum of influence, whereas Heartgard does not, but it does control more species of hookworms than its rivals.
About the Author:
About the author: Rebecca Foxton can help you give your pet brilliant health with heartworm medication. For an excellent source of health tips for pet owners, visit her Fortiflora Feline articles on Dog Buffs.
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