3850 Grand View Blvd. - Los Angeles, CA 90066 - Phone:(310) 391-6741 - Fax:(310) 391-6744 - Email: MarVistaAMC@gmail.com
(310)391-6741
www.marvistavet.com
MILBEMYCIN OXIME (for veterinary information only) BRAND NAME: INTERCEPTOR, CORAXIS, MILBEGUARD, MILBEMITE
AVAILABLE IN
BACKGROUND It is hard to imagine a time when heartworm prevention for dogs was handled with daily pills. Skipping even one dose would leave a dog vulnerable to a terrible infection. When ivermectin became commercially available for dogs, heartworm (as well as hookworm and roundworm infection) could be prevented by a monthly chewable, as is commonly done today. It was an amazing development in pet care. Milbemycin oxime became commercially available shortly after with the added benefit of covering not only hookworms, heartworm, and roundworms, but also whipworms. As of this writing, milbemycin oxime is also available as an ear drop for cats to be used against ear mites. It has activity against many parasites and it has been combined with other anti-parasite medications to create even broader spectrum parasite protection.
HOW THIS MEDICATION IS USED How this medication is used depends on the target parasite. HEARTWORM, HOOKWORM, ROUNDWORMS AND, FOR DOGS, WHIPWORMS: A monthly tablet for dogs and cats. Puppies should be at least 2 lbs by weight and at least 4 weeks of age. Kittens should be at least 6 weeks of age and one and a half pounds of weight. Oral use of milbemycin oxime for parasites other than these is considered "off label" and higher doses may be involved. DEMODECTIC MANGE MITES: Canine demodex mites are sensitive to milbemycin oxime but it medication must be given daily. SARCOPTIC MANGE MITES: Sarcoptic mange mites are sensitive to milbemycin oxime but a special off-label protocol is needed. EAR MITES: Ear mites are sensitive to milbemycin oxime given orally but a special protocol is likely necessary. In cats, a milbemycin oxime ear drop is commercially available. Milbemycin oxime may be given with our without food. If a dose is accidentally skipped, give it when it is remembered. Inform your veterinarian that a dose was skipped as this may matter in the parasite protocol depending on what the target parasite is. Time the subsequent dose accordingly. INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER DRUGS There are no meaningful drug interactions except in dogs with the MDR1 mutation. Breeds that are most commonly involved are collie-related breeds but other breeds can be involved. The MDR1 mutation (recently renamed the ABCB-1 mutation) concerns the function of something called the "P-glycoprotein." In normal patients, the P-glycoprotein is involved in keeping drugs out of certain tissues and is important in keeping milbemycin oxime out of the patient's nervous system. A healthy P-glycoprotein system is what allows milbemycin oxime to be safe for mammals even in very high doses. The MDR1 mutation can create dangerous milbemycin oxime sensitivity. Normal commercial heartworm preventives do not use high enough doses for this issue to come into play; it is usually in the treatment of demodectic or sarcoptic mange when the issue comes up. Similarly, as mentioned, certain drug combinations involving milbemycin oxime are issues in dogs with the MDR1 mutation. Drugs that can combine with milbemycin oxime to create a toxic situation in an MDR1 mutation dog include:
Testing for the MDR1 Mutation: SIDE EFFECTS If milbemycin oxime is given to a heartworm positive dog with circulating microfilariae (baby heartworms swimming in the bloodstream), the young worms may die abruptly causing a shock-like reaction in the host. A slower microfilariae kill with ivermectin is a safer method for clearing heartworm microfilariae. Dogs with the MDR1 mutation can have serious neurologic reactions to milbemycin oxime if medication is used at a dose higher than the labeled heartworm preventive dose. Toxic reactions (as in overdose) include dilated pupils, drooling, incoordination, fever, seizures, coma and death.
SPECIAL CAUTIONS Milbemycin oxime is not approved for pregnancy and lactation. Milbemycin oxime tablets should be stored in the blister packs provided by the manufacturer. Store at room temperature. If a dose is skipped, what one should do will depend on what the target parasite is. Contact your veterinarian in the event of a skipped dose so as to obtain proper instructions. Short version (to help us comply with "Lizzie's Law") |