Heartgard®, Nexgard®, and Flea Prevention

Topics covered on this page:

• Heartworm Prevention: Heartgard® Plus
• Flea/Tick Prevention: Nexgard® Chewable Tablets
• General Flea Prevention

You have two different size packages:

• The first package (GREEN) is for puppies weighing up to 50 lbs.
• The second (BROWN) is for puppies weighing 51-100 lbs.
• Please read the package label and directions before each use.
• Keep out of reach of children.

Heartgard^® Plus is a year-round heartworm prevention chewable cube given once a month. In addition to these instructions, please read the packaging materials regarding usage and storage directions. All puppies should receive their cube/cubes on the first of every month.

Heartgard® Plus Instructions

• Place heartworm preventative chewable cube in food bowl prior to feeding a meal. If the puppy will not eat the cube, ask your leader or puppy raising field manager for advice.
  • Puppies weighing up to 50 lbs.: Give 1 cube from the green box. Even if the puppy weighs less than 26 pounds, give one whole cub from the green box on the first of the month.
  • Puppies weighing 51-100 lbs.: Give 1 cube from the brown box. If you still have cubes left in the green box, you can double the dose and give 2 cubes from the green box.
  • Puppies weighing more than 100 lbs.: Give 2 cubes from the brown box.
• All cubes look the same; only the color of the box is different.
• Two cubes from the green box equal one from the brown box.
• NEVER cut a cube in half. The medicine is not even distributed through the cube.
• If a puppy turns 8 weeks of age prior to leaving the GDB campus, they are given a dose of Heartgard^® Plus on the day they turn 8 weeks. If a puppy leaves prior to 8 weeks, this special Heartgard^® Plus dose (for puppies 25lbs and under) is included in their puppy packet with the date it should be administered.

The puppy’s first dose of Heartgard^® Plus from the green box may need to be on a special schedule to avoid overdosing. Looking at the puppy’s whelp date, count forward 8 weeks. Using the day of the month the puppy turned 8 weeks, review the following instructions to adjust the dose as needed.

No adjustment needed. Give the first green dose on the 1^st of the month.

Give the first green dose on the 7th of the following month, then on the 1st of each month thereafter.

Example: puppy turned 8 weeks of age on January 12; give the first green dose on February 7, then March 1, April 1, etc.

Give the first green dose when the puppy is 11 weeks of age, then on the 1st of the following month, and then the 1st of each month thereafter.

Example: puppy turned 8 weeks of age on January 26; give the first green dose on March 1, then April 1, May 1, etc.

Note: Puppy raisers may need to get a prescription for additional Heartgard® from their local veterinarian. Please try to get the least number of doses possible based on potential recall dates. Return any unused Heartgard® to GDB at the time the dog is recalled or returned to campus.
 

Nexgard® kills fleas, ticks, and mites and is considered safe for dogs over 8 weeks of age. It contains a product called afoxolaner, which blocks insect-specific neurotransmitters. It is administered as a once-a-month oral beef-flavored chewable tablet. It has excellent efficacy in all regions of the United States. Because it is a flavored chew, the product should be stored in a secure place that is not accessible to dogs in the home.

You have two different size doses:

• The first size (BLUE) is for when the puppy weighs between 10-24 lbs.
• The second size (PURPLE) is for when the puppy weighs between 24.1-60 lbs.
• Please read the package label and directions before each use.
• Keep out of reach of children.

Given once a month, Nexgard® provides protection against fleas and ticks. Use only on dogs. Do not use on other animals in the household. 

Raisers may need to get a prescription for additional Nexgard® from their local veterinarian. NOTE: ensure any additional doses are Nexgard®, not Nexgard Plus.® Please try to get the least number of doses possible based on potential recall dates. Return any unused Nexgard® to GDB at the time the dog is recalled or returned to campus. 

Nexgard® Instructions

• Remove one chewable from the package when you’re ready to administer the product.
• Give as a treat like you do with Heartgard®.
• Can be given at the same time as Heartgard®.
• Can be given with or without food.
• If the puppy will not eat the Nexgard® you may crumble it up into a small amount of wet food and watch to ensure that the pup eats it all.
• If the puppy vomits within 2 hours of receiving a dose, give another dose with food the following day.

When to Start Nexgard®
Because puppies cannot receive Nexgard® before they are 8 weeks old, and because Nexgard® cannot be given within 2 weeks of another dose, it’s very important to follow the guidelines below to avoid overdosing puppies on this medication.

If you received your puppy BEFORE they turned 8 weeks of age:
Puppies under 8 weeks of age cannot get Nexgard® so puppies under 8 weeks of age will not have received flea/tick prevention yet.

• If your puppy turns 8 weeks of age between the 1st and the 15th of the month, please give a dose of Nexgard® on the day they turn 8-weeks, then give the medication once per month on the 1st of each month thereafter.
• If your puppy turns 8 weeks of age between the 16th and the 31st of the month, please start giving Nexgard® on the 1st of the upcoming month, and on the 1st of each month thereafter.

If you received your puppy AFTER they turn 8 weeks of age:
Puppies are given a dose of Nexgard® on campus when they turn 8 weeks old.

• If your puppy turned 8 weeks between the 1st and the 15th of the month, please start Nexgard® on 1st of the upcoming month, and then on the 1st of the month thereafter.
• If your puppy turned 8 weeks of age between the 16th and the 31st of the month, please wait until the 1st of the following month to start. Do not start on the 1st of the month after you get your puppy to avoid overdose. For example, if your puppy turned 8 weeks on July 20th and you got them on July 25th, they would start getting Nexgard® on September 1st.

In the interim while you are waiting to give them their first dose, you can decrease the likelihood of them having a flea problem by bathing them, brushing and combing them and avoiding areas where there is a flea infestation. Should you encounter a flea problem during this time, please contact our VFA team for advice on a safe alternate schedule for starting Nexgard®

If a dose of Nexgard® is missed, administer Nexgard® and resume a monthly dosing schedule if there is more than 14 days before the first of the month.

Note: the second dose of Nexgard® should always be the smaller sized chewable tablet from the blue box, even if your puppy weighs more than 24 pounds. Beginning from the third dose, use the puppy’s weight to determine the dose.

Adult fleas spend most of their time on an animal, but the flea eggs, larvae, and pupae can be found in indoor and outdoor environments. For every flea that you may see on a puppy, there are likely to be hundreds of eggs and larvae in your home and yard. Therefore, a truly effective flea control program always includes treating the environment as well as treating all animals in the household.

If you have any issues with fleas, you can follow the following steps:

• Properly administer Nexgard^® chewable tablets on the first of every month.
• All other pets in the household (including outdoor pets) must be on a reliable monthly flea preventative as well.
• Remove fleas and immature life stages from the indoor environment: Vacuum thoroughly, especially below drapes, under furniture edges, and where your pets sleep. It is estimated that vacuuming can remove up the 50% of flea eggs. Vacuum daily in high traffic areas, weekly in others. Each time seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and discard immediately. Additionally, there are safe sprays that can be used indoors to prevent re-infestation. Virbac “Knockout” is one example.
• Wash all pets’ bedding weekly until fleas have been eliminated. Use heat to dry.
  
• Clean your automobile, pet carrier, garage, basement, or any other place where pets spend time.
• Remove fleas and immature life stages from the outdoor environment: There are many safe pyrethrin based sprays that can be used in your yard. Virbac’s yard spray is one example. The fleas like to live in closed areas such as bushes, steps, under the house, porches, decks, under mats, etc. The eggs will die when exposed to direct sunlight and topical sprays. Repeat in 2 weeks. Another method of outdoor flea control without using chemicals is using free living nematodes. This option may take longer to clear the infestation; however, it could be helpful for long-term control. Be aware that urban wildlife and feral cats passing through are often carriers of fleas. Try to eliminate places to hide such as open sheds or crawl spaces.

Keep in mind that until all the fleas in your home have died, you will probably still see some fleas, even on a treated pet, since some immature forms may continue to develop. Also, it can take up to 24 hours for a flea to die on a pet that has been treated with an effective topical flea medication. If many flea eggs and larvae are present, it can often take two to three months for fleas to be fully cleared from the home.