Hello,
I was told by a Jack Russell Terrier breeder that it would be ok to give my Jack Russel Terrier Liqui-Care P. for worms. I know this stuff is for horses. Is this ok or not? Thank you!
– CO, Michigan
Dear CO,
If you’re a fan of my Ask the Vet blog, then you know I’M not a fan of giving dogs products made for horses and vice versa. So the short answer to your question is: no, giving your Jack Russell a horse dewormer is NOT okay.
The long answer is that horse dewormers are way more concentrated than dog dewormers. The product you specifically mentioned, Liqui-Care P, is designed to be given at a rate of 6ml per every 100lbs body weight. For a 1,000 pound horse, that’s 60mls, easily doable with a large syringe. But for a 10lb Jack Russell, that’s only 0.6ml, a small amount to have to be sure to measure correctly. And since this particular dewormer is a suspension—meaning it has to be shaken or stirred first because it has a tendency to separate—you have to be that much more careful when it comes to measuring.
My advice is to stick with a product specifically made for dogs and puppies. Most of the canine dewormers that contain the same active ingredient—pyrantel pamoate—are designed to be given at a rate of 5ml (one full teaspoon) per every 10lbs of body weight, a convenient amount to give to a small dog.
One other thing to think about: since pyrantel pamoate controls the roundworms Toxocara and Toxascaris and as well as the hookworms Ancylostoma and Uncinaria, why not use a heartworm preventative like HeartGard Plus which not only controls these parasites but also heartworm, a much more deadly threat?
Lydia Gray, DVM MA, is the Staff Veterinarian for SmartPak. Prior to joining SmartPak, Dr. Gray served as the first-ever Director of Owner Education for the American Association of Equine Practitioners. She has authored numerous articles in publications such as The Horse, Horse Illustrated, Western Horseman and a variety of veterinary journals and magazines. Dr. Gray is also a frequent speaker at horse expos, veterinary conventions and other events. After graduating with honors from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and receiving her Master's Degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication, she practiced at the Tremont Veterinary Clinic for several years. Dr. Gray is active in the American Veterinary Medical Association and Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association. She enjoys training and showing her Trakehner, Newman, in both combined driving and dressage, and is a USDF “L” Program Graduate (with distinction). Find Dr. Gray on Google+
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need we mention Ivermectin poisioning in herding dogs? our Australian shepard almost died from thios. thanks
I have to say that it is good to have someone say something about this. I worked somewhere that it was popular to sell paste horse wormers to be used for dogs. This just really worried me and while the drugs are the same it just seems way to easy to accidentally overdose such a drastically smaller animal! Thanks for addressing this issue!!!
A friend of mine lost her very much loved collie from it and found it is very deadly to certain dog breeds. I would NEVER even think of giving our dogs any horse products. Different kind of animals and so much smaller in size.
You can actually test you dogs to see if they have the MDR-1 mutation which is the problem with some herding dogs and ivermectin (and other p-glycosubstrate drugs, like the antibiotic erythromycin for example). I’ve had an Australian shepherd and a rough collie both tested, both turning out to be heterozygous for the gene, and they have no trouble taking normal doses of ivermectin like the dosage in canine heartworm drugs. The collie did have a reaction the first time she was treated with erythromycin, however. Simple solution to the ivermectin/herding dog question- just have your dog tested!
I’ve used horse dewormer on my dogs on several occasions without any issues. I would not recommend it for anyone that hasn’t had training in drugs, dosages and side effects. There can be serious repercussions if you miscalculate the dosage.
I’m a breeder for Chesapeake Bay Retrievers I use Strongid on my puppies, works great and never had an issue. Oh works great on my horses too.
The vet asks, “Why don’t you use something intended for dogs – such as Heartguard?” I am guessing the answer to that is pretty obvious… it comes down to dollars. I wouldn’t have stumbled across this question here, if I wasn’t asking the same question – is it safe? Can I do it? Can I save myself a lot of money? You can buy horse wormer over the counter – Heartguard, need to go to a vet or get a script from a vet to buy online. So, if you do the math, I think you can imagine why the question was posed in the first place. I have a better question – if we know many formulations of wormer are safe for dogs (we’ve been giving them to dogs for years), why do vets have to prescribe them and why can’t they open up the marketplace to make the prices more competitive and affordable. If I can worm my 1000 lb palamino quarter horse for $7-12 with over the counter wormer – why can’t I do the same for my 2 Goldens and my Bernese Mountain Dog. Very frustrating!