Hi all, Ive been doing some research for a friend on wormers, and have found some wormers contain a substance called Ivermectin, which can prove fatal to all types of collies and Old English Sheepdogs, so if this is your breed, be careful.
Also just seen the same is applicable for shelties and Aussie shepherds

Hi Phil.
Wasn't this used to treat mange too? seem to remember "ivermec" as being dangerous but effective, may have got my wires crossed though.
Dawn.

Ivermectin is used to treat mites on horses legs, if a really bad infestation vets will inject it at owners own risk

Lorraine

Oh Lorraine, Its getting worse by the minute!!! What are we putting into our beloved dogs at times?;(

Hi Dawn, Im not certain, but it rings bells for me too. Would you like me to check for you, its no trouble?

Hi again Dawn, just checked and yes, you were right.

Cheers Phil, thought it rang a bell.
Dawn.

Yes, you're right Philippa. For years we were told that it was OK and only after many dogs died, there is now a warning against certain breeds in the packet insert. You'll find it mentioned on many Collie sites and there is a warning in one of our yearly handbooks.
I actually print the warning in my booklet that accompanies all my puppies so that all owners know because there are still some Vets who are unaware.

Hi, Ivermectin is used to treat mange but some dogs will react to it and a bad reaction can be fatal, it should not be given to collies - I dont know about other herding breeds. It is not licenced for use in dogs in the Uk and if your vet uses it on a dog it should be with the understanding that the risks are accepted by the owner and no action will be taken against the vet if there is a bad reaction. One of my dogs reacted to it - her first injection was given by the vet -no problems - and he gave me a loaded syringe to give her another 2 weeks later which I did at home. Within half an hour she was throwing herself around the place with a very high temperature , very hot to touch and very distressed. Luckily I had some preds that my eldery Lab was on, and gave her two at once. She "came back to normal" before my very eyes, it was miraculous. The vet said afterwards that if I hadn't have given them to her quickly she may well have died. It was very frightening and very fortunate I had some Preds in the medicine box. When we had this mange outbreak (caught from local foxes) all 7 dogs had the Ivermectin and Sally was the only reactor. Her mother and daughter were ok on it. It is not a medicine to be given lightly but they had not responded to the shampoo he gave me and it did cure the mange with two injections 2 weeks apart. I think it should only be used as a last resort, but when all else fails it can be a miracle cure. My vet said that none of them would need worming again for 3-4 months after Ivermectin treatment as it kills all parasites.

Over here we have heartworm that is often treated with ivermectin. My shelties(knock on wood) have never had a bad reaction to it----thank you God! But a friend of mine with collies actually lost half of her breeders using it. Scary stuff but heartworm is nasty too.

I'm treating a dog with it at the moment, please keep your fingers crossed for him and me as we have no other option. Jackie H

Hi Jackie, Ive got everything (and I mean everything lol) crossed for you and your dog. Im sure all will be well. xxx

Thanks Phillipa, I did know the risk but as I said there is no other choice, but I thank you for your good wishes. Jackie H

If there's no other choice Jackie, then you've made the right decision! At least you have a chance. Everything crossed Val.

Hi Jackie,
Your treating your dog for heartworm? I have had friends with some serious cases of it and their dogs are making it through wonderfully. I guess it takes something like a full year of treatment before they are totally clear. I used to give my shelties once a month heartguard, but now I give them the injection that lasts for 6 months. It has worked great(knock on wood again). We have so many mosquitoes around here that there is nothing else to do but treat them. Hope all goes weel and that your dog gets better.

Carissa

Hi Carissa, no not heartworm, demondex (not sure of spelling) (not sure of how to pronounce it either) I know there are other treatments but none are suitable in his case. I know their are high risks but the only other course is to PTS so as long as he is not suffering with the medication (he isn't, I worry with every dose) I will carry on till we are on top of the mite or he can take no more. Jackie H

HI JackieH, Its demodex . I dont want to worry you and have hesitated before posting as I dont really want to cast seeds of doubt in your mind. When my dogs had sarcoptic mange, the vet (not my present one) told me it was demodex and said I did not need to isolate the dog as demodex is not "catching" A skin scrape was not taken I just trusted his diagnosis. However it turned out to be sarcops and the dog she was kennelled with (who did not have it to begin with) went down with it and did not respond to treatment and after 18 months of treatment with ivomec had to be pts. Demodex is hereditary, I dont know whether you have bred this dog yourself or have any other of its family members but if none of them display demodex, there is a chance that it may be sarcops. The ivomec is still the right treatment, but unless you have had a skin scrape done and a definate diagnosis that is it demodex, I would isolate it at once and if they were mine I would treat all my other dogs with Stronghold at once. Stronghold is the safest treatment for sarcoptic mange, also called fox mange and will clear it with two monthly treatments. Hope you dont mind me posting this.

Thanks for the message WL, I did know about what you have said and this is Demodex. Would not take the vet say so with out at least a scrape, in this case a biopsiy (can't spell) and can't get away with the fact it is the pesky Demodex Jackie H

Good news, Fred has now had his last dose of Ivermectin and his new coat is growing. Got to wait now and hope he will continue to improve, he has been on the treatment now for over 6 weeks and I have worried all the time but to see him so well now has to make it worth the worry. The only trouble is he has for some years now been given 'PRT' tablets to try and cure a problem that may have happend because he was castrated and we have had to stop them because they may have been the cause of his dropped immunity. Still that contition is not life threatening just an irritation to both him and us. Ja:)kie

another + don't think he will need worming now either. :D

Hi, just caught this topic with Jackie's new post. We have had to use ivomec. once or twice when visiting bitches have passed on mange, or some other none specific nasty itchy type thing. It is very widely used in the USA, and we had not heard any adverse reports on it in our breed, so went ahead, having signed a vets permission slip. The effect was magical. Have now moved on to useing Stronghold as a routine parasite preventative, and (touch wood) have had absolutely no creepy crawlies of any king in 18 months! I use it routinely every 3 months - the pack says monthly, but after discussion with the Vet we decided that 3 months was sufficient. Stronghold contains an ivermectin substance, but is 'gentler' than the injectable form.

My vet said that Ivermectin should never be used on any dog which carries a blue Merle gene, becasue it can then be lethal. This is why it should not be used on Collies and other herding dogs, because you just cant be positive where the gene might be present, she also said something about sight hounds, but cant remember what that was. Will check it out if anyone if interested.

Gwen

We could use no other method on this particular dog so had to use the Panomec Injection given by mouth, it has worked well but I was worried about the old boy but knew I had to do something and Stronghold was not the answer. Still he is OK now and at his age & condition we live from day to day. Ja:)kie