Is Heartgard safe for my Australian Shepherd? What about flea/tick?

Question

What time of heartworm flea and tick prevention do you recommend for my Australian Shepherd. I’m afraid to use heartguard and idk about best flea and tick prevention. Pet's info: Dog | Australian Shepherd | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 5 months old | 14 lbs

Catherine Stecyk · Accepted Answer

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a good question, especially with some Australian Shepherds having a mutation of their MDR-1 gene. Fortunately, Heartgard is safe to use in these breeds for the prevention of heartworms. The amount of ivermectin contained within a monthly dose is not harmful/toxic to dogs even with the MDR-1 mutation. I would be careful to ensure that Josie does not accidentally ingest multiple months-worth of doses, as this cumulative dose could potentially be toxic to her. As far as topical flea and tick preventatives go, brands such as Frontline and K9 Advantix are also safe to use in these breeds. I hope this is helpful!

Is Heartgard safe for my Australian Shepherd? What about flea/tick?

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