The heartworm preventive medication. I can buy it from Canada without a prescription, but it's not the meat flavored chewable type. The heartworm preventive medication. I can buy it from Canada without a prescription, but it's not the meat flavored chewable type.

Ivermectin, the drug that is in Heartguard, can affect some types of dogs in very bad ways. The liquid form, probably what you can buy from Canada, is used in large animals, like cattle...it is TOO STONG for dogs! While MOST breeds of dogs could eat a whole package of Heartguard without any effects, there are certain breeds, primarily collies and others like them that have a sensitivity to this drug. The technical issue is that it crosses their blood-brain barrier more easily than in other breeds, which can lead to neurologic side effects, even seizures and death if you are using that cattle dose! It can still be safe to give sensitive dogs the correct dosage...but that's why it can't be just an over the counter drug!

There are also some issues with putting your dog on preventive if they already have heartworms. While it's not, in itself, going to kill your dog, it can cause some problems. Older drugs WOULD kill your dog if they already had the worms, because they killed the adults, which would die, leave the heart and clog up the vessles in the lungs and even heart...triggering basically, a heart attack. Heartgaurd CAN be used for what's called the "slow kill" method...but you are not getting rid of the adult worms (ivermectin only kills a certain stage of the worm...NOT adults)...so the adults are still in the heart and pulmonary vasculature, so they can still cause problems. You are just waiting for them to die of "old age" while you kill off any offspring they produce monthly. It can be done, but you need to restrict excersize and that sort of thing for a LONG time while the worms die off.

To safely use this drug, you need to have a current heartworm test and use the dosage prescribed for you dog! I wish it could be an over the counter drug too! But, drugs are usually controlled for a reason other than profit (though I'm sure that plays into it to!)

Do I have to have a prescription to purchase Heartgard for my dogs?

Like if I order it online?

The brandname Heartguard is a prescription drug. You can get both of its ingredients -ivermectin and pyrantel- OTC. You can probably even buy some other combo wormers of pyrantel/ivermectin OTC under a different brandname.

Do you need a prescription from the vet to get heartgard for a puppy?

I have a pug and i want to start giving him heartgard for worms and stuff but i dont want to take him to the vet. they are really expensive and its just a question. i want to buy it from 1800petmeds but what do you say?