Most pet guardians with dogs that were using Interceptor are aware that the manufacturer, Novartis Animal Health, stopped production on this product over a year ago. Novartis has recently announced that Interceptor has been discontinued.
According to a message from Novartis:
We’re no longer producing Interceptor Flavor Tabs, but we’re happy to introduce an even smarter option for heartworm protection. Sentinel® (milbemycin oxime/lufenuron) Flavor Tabs® provide the same exceptional protection against heartworms plus they protect against fleas, too. All at a price similar to Interceptor Flavor Tabs.
The good news is that Sentinel is in stock and available at PetMeds, with available inventory for all sizes of dogs. What should you know about Sentinel? Sentinel is a monthly preventative for dogs that provides protection against heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms as well as fleas all in one convenient chewable beef-flavored tablet. Sentinel doesn’t kill adult fleas, but rather works by killing flea eggs before they hatch and develop into adults, thereby breaking the flea life cycle. If you already have an infestation of adult fleas, you can use Capstar which begins working within 30 minutes to kill adult fleas.
While Sentinel is one of the most comprehensive pet medications around, it doesn’t protect your dog from ticks. Because ticks can transmit serious diseases, if you live in an area where your dog is exposed to ticks, you can choose a product such as the Preventic Amitraz Tick Collar to control ticks. The active ingredient in this tick collar is amitraz, which kills and detaches ticks for up to three months. The Preventic collar is effective against ticks including the American Dog Tick, the Brown Dog Tick, the Lone Star Tick, and the Deer Tick. Using a tick collar along with Sentinel will ensure your dog has comprehensive protection.
As with all prescription medications, ask your veterinarian if Sentinel is right for your dog. If you’re interested in learning more about Sentinel, you can read what other pet parents say about the product by clicking on the “Customer Reviews” tab on the product page for Sentinel.