I have just become aware of the dog wormer milbemycin(Interceptor) and would like to give all my dogs this wormer monthly. Because I have a kennel and raise dogs I was wondering if the larger tabs for larger dogs could be divided.It would be much cheaper to buy the larger ones and to divide them.Has anyone did this? Thanks, Terry

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), May 07, 2002

Answers

I feed my dogs food grade Diatomaceous Earth daily. Easy and safe. I'd call the vet and see about the safety of the wormer for different ages of dogs and if what you want to do is safe. My opinion!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002.

Rogo - where do you get foodgrade DE? I use DE for my pool, but I'm assuming it is not the same. All animals? Cows, pigs, dogs, cats?

-- julie (jbritt@ceva.net), May 08, 2002.

Julie, You can buy food grade DE at most health food stores. Barb

-- Barbara (vozarbi@sensible-net.com), May 08, 2002.

Yes they can be divided. I have 3 dogs and have bought liquid wormer from the vet 1cc for 40 pds. I fold it onto a piece of cheese or bologne for each dog once a month.

-- debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), May 08, 2002.

I also have a kennel and raise dogs. I use Ivomec for cattle 30 cc, dilute it with Propylene Glycol, from a pharmacy, and give 1/2 cc per 20# body weight once per month for heartworms.

-- Rebecca L. McComas (fivelabsownus@outdrs.net), May 08, 2002.

Interceptor is also used as a heartworm preventative. Only use on your dogs if you know for certain that they are heartworm negetive otherwise they will have a severe reaction to the interceptor and possibly die.

You would be better off using ivermectin (1% solution for cattle). A 50 ml bottle will cost you about $40 and depending on the number of dogs you have could last months maybe years. Dosage is 1/10 cc per 11 lbs of body weight given every 30 days. This is a heartworm preventative and also takes care of intestinal worms except for tape worms. Do not give to collies ot collie mixes.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), May 08, 2002.

Careful with "Sight Hounds" too. LQ

-- Little Quacker in OR (carouselxing@juno.com), May 08, 2002.

=== Rogo - where do you get foodgrade DE? I use DE for my pool, but I'm assuming it is not the same. All animals? Cows, pigs, dogs, cats? ===

Julie, food grade DE is 100% DE with no additives. Industrial grade DE is heated/chemically treated/ground larger than food grade. It is used in many ways, one of which is in swimming pool filters. It doesn't kill insects/parasites, but it could kill your critters.

Food grade DE is sold at feed stores and organic nurseries/garden centers. If you can't find it in your town or the feed stores won't order for you, I can give you the names of some suppliers that have reasonable prices and don't charge as much as others for shipping.

For feeding critters:

Beef Cattle  1% of total weight of dry ration; 5% in grain

Dairy Cattle  1% of total weight of dry ration

Calves  4 grams in morning milk per calf

Chickens  2% in feed, use at full strength in dusting boxes

Hogs  2% of total feed ration, dust or spray on bedding and animals

Horses  5 ounces (1 cup) in daily feed ration

Sheep  1% in ground grains; 1 part Diatomaceous Earth to 2 parts T-M salt

Goats  1% in grain; 5% per bushel of feed: up to 50% in T-M salt

Dogs  1 Tablespoon per day in daily ration for dogs over 35 lbs.; 1 teaspoon per day in ration for small dogs and puppies, rub powder at full strength into the coat for fleas and sprinkle on bedding

Cats 1 tsp. per daily ration, rub at full strength into coat for fleas and sprinkle on bedding

Diatomaceous Earth can be used as a dust or spray for control of flies and other insects in buildings, on pastures, crops and trees. The DE will be effective once it dries.

You can't overdose, but if enough isn't fed, it won't work.

My large livestock free feed the DE out of a bucket. Flies can't reproduce in the manure.

I mix the DE into the chicken feed and sprinkle the DE in the pens. No odor in the pens. I leave piles of DE around for the birds to dust bathe. No lice/mites/scaly leg on the birds.

The dogs free feed dry food. I mix the DE in the container as the feed comes down. There have been no fleas on the dogs since they've been eating DE.

Fecal tests done by the vet are the best way to discover if a dewormer is working. Properly fed, DE works!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), May 09, 2002.

How much does DE cost?

-- Cindy in IL (Ilovecajun@aol.com), May 09, 2002.

This website explains how and why it kills insects, etc.

http://www.internet-grocer.com/diatome.htm

Thanks for making me look into that , Rogo! I'm off to buy me some :)

-- Cindy in IL (Ilovecajun@aol.com), May 09, 2002.

de costs about $ 15-16 for a 50 lb bag.. BTW Rogo , thanks for spouting on DE, its the only thing i use for my babies!! hooved padded and feathered, and the only thing D.O.G. will let me use , and still sell organic!!

-- Beth in ND (famvan@drtel.net), May 09, 2002.

you should not divide them because the medication is not equally distributed through out the pill, so one half of the pill may contain more or less then the other half.

-- jamie adkins (jamieadkins@mail.com), May 10, 2002.