To Norma An concerning heartworm medication:
 
      > The medicine she gives ferrets is Ivermectin...one quarter of a chewy
>pill per ferret (from a 6 pill pack). Now, this sounds to me like the exact
>same medicine that we used to give my dog? I am worried that the medicine in
>one of those chewy pills will not be evenly distributed throughout the pill
>and, therefore, when i break off pieces to give to the fuzzies they may get too
>much or too little (i seem to remember that this was the concern of Dr.
>Williams about this, as posted awhile back...?).
>What should we do about this?
>So far, the ferrets have not been allowed outside so i'm sure they are o.k.
>Thanks,
>Norma-ann and Ross (humans), Molly Mae, Beckett, and Gerty (ferrets)
<p.s. She did not mention Milbemycin...should we ask her for this?
 
 
        Yes, I also have heard that heartworm medication may not be distributed
equally in all parts of the tablet.  In fact, some practitioners buy stock
amounts of ivermectin and dilute in propylene glycol so that dosage will be
exact.  As milbemycin is also given in tablet form, you will encounter a similar
problem.
 
        As far as your pets being indoor pets, as heartworm disease is
transmitted by mosquitoes, even indoor pets may become infected.
 
        Finally, concerning the practice of starting heartworm medication prior
to testing - in any species, this carries some risk.  The odds are great that
your ferret will already have a heartworm burden, but if it does - treatment
with the preventative may result in the death of both the heartworm and your pet
(by pulmonary embolism or liver failure.)
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 576-2453/2454                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
 
        Qith milbemycin
 
[Posted in FML issue 0884]