# How do you store HeartGard??? 68F to 77F



## BostonDan (Dec 29, 2014)

I saw a post on food storage and it got me thinking about HeartGard Plus again. The directions state that it should be stored at a temperature range between 68F and 77F. This seems almost impossible to maintain. Can you please share how you store HeartGard and how many months out you stockpile?


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

I just keep it in the cupboard.


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## BostonDan (Dec 29, 2014)

sassafras said:


> I just keep it in the cupboard.


 How many months do you store and are you concerned at all with it going bad if it is outside of the temperature range?


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

...If my house is colder than 68 or hotter than 77, there's something wrong. That's basically room temperature, though admittedly sometimes I like it a little cooler than 68 (more like 65). Fortunately, the cabinets aren't air conditioned (but are still inside a climate controlled house) But seriously, it's basically just keep it out of cold and heat, at least for most homes with climate control in, at least, North America. My house sits at 72, give or take 2 degrees, year round.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Well with four big dogs I go through a 12 pack in 3 months. But even when I had fewer dogs I would buy a 12 pack and just use it until it was gone as long as the expiration date was good. I can't say I've ever worried about the temperature.


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## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

CptJack said:


> ...If my house is colder than 68 or hotter than 77, there's something wrong. That's basically room temperature, though admittedly sometimes I like it a little cooler than 68 (more like 65). Fortunately, the cabinets aren't air conditioned (but are still inside a climate controlled house) But seriously, it's basically just keep it out of cold and heat, at least for most homes with climate control in, at least, North America. My house sits at 72, give or take 2 degrees, year round.


Posts like this always make me excited about eventually being a real adult, where we can afford to keep the heat and air at a nice temp. Oh and for op I buy 3-6 mos at a time (I work at a shelter so I can buy it from there whenever I need it) and keep it in the dog drawer in my closet. From what our vet has said I wouldn't be concerned- forgot to bring in my bag after work one day with Greys hg, steamed in the car at probably 120 degrees for a few days, vet said it was still ok to use that one.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Rescued said:


> Posts like this always make me excited about eventually being a real adult, where we can afford to keep the heat and air at a nice temp.


I guess I've always lived a "spoiled" life. With the exception of power/equipment failures I've never been without heat or AC and hope to never be (at least in the area I live now). If it's a choice between heat/AC and some other expense in most cases I'd be leaning towards the heat/AC... I like to be comfortable. Plus heating and cooling my townhouse really isn't that huge an expense.

I buy 6 months of heartworm meds at a time and they sit on a shelf in my kitchen.


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## BostonDan (Dec 29, 2014)

For me the ideal temperature is 62. I crank up the AC in the summer and not so hot in the winter. 
I can't fathom why the HeartGard temp range is so narrow, and especially why the low side is as high as 68F. Because of the label, I've never purchased more than 3 months at a time, but I'm now considering purchasing 12 month quantities.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

I would call the customer service number and question the temperature range. Chemical reactions are hastened by high temperatures. .. and slowed by cold. There are a few chemicals that are harmed by freezing, but very few suffer from being kept in the fridge. Both the active ingredients in HeartGuard (Pyrantel paomate and Ivermectin) are fine in the fridge. 

My father, who was an excellent doctor, said taught me that storing meds in the fridge greatly increases the viable lifetime of most meds. My guess is that there is no testing behind the temperature recommendation given and someone was trying to convey that it CAN be stored at 'room temperature' . . . not that it shouldn't be kept cool.


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## moluno (Apr 29, 2009)

It's just room temperature I don't think a few degrees in either direction is significant. Probably just don't leave it sitting in your car in the middle of summer/winter. 

I have many many months of Heartgard sitting in my bedroom closet.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Mine is in a dark corner of the cupboard with the flea meds. I keep 12 mos at a time, and my dog is on heartgard all year long, every month. I think I've been doing this for 15 years, if the monthly heartgard has been available that long. 

We have lots of mosquitoes all year long, heartworms are a big problem, but we've never had any issues.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

My boxes of Tri Heart, aka generic Heartguard, have a temp range suggested of 59 to 86 degrees F. Which covers most residential inside temperatures in the US at least. So Heartguard should realistically be the same temp range as optimum.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

BostonDan said:


> I saw a post on food storage and it got me thinking about HeartGard Plus again. The directions state that it should be stored at a temperature range between 68F and 77F. This seems almost impossible to maintain. Can you please share how you store HeartGard and how many months out you stockpile?


I live in heartworm central..... I buy heartgard a year at a time for my dogs.... 


I never paid any attention to the temperature requirements... 

I keep mine in the dog stuff closet.... Never had any issues.... That being said, I seriously doubt the temperature in the closet ever gets over or under that range unless the power goes out or something breaks.


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## BostonDan (Dec 29, 2014)

I scratch my head on how someone came up with the temperature range. I like to think there is some science behind those numbers and it's not someone pulling them out of thin air, but, I also wouldn't be surprised if the numbers were pulled out of thin air. It is a very odd narrow range.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

BostonDan said:


> I scratch my head on how someone came up with the temperature range. I like to think there is some science behind those numbers and it's not someone pulling them out of thin air, but, I also wouldn't be surprised if the numbers were pulled out of thin air. It is a very odd narrow range.


If it helps you.... When I have had pyrantal and Ivermectin on hand in liquid form.... I have always kept it in the Fridge...


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## BostonDan (Dec 29, 2014)

I decided to see what they say for TriHeart-Plus and it's a similar story, "Store at controlled room temperature of 59-86° F (15-30° C)". Very odd again.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Labeling requirements are really odd and strict in the US, so it may be something legal with regards to those requirements.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

BostonDan said:


> I decided to see what they say for TriHeart-Plus and it's a similar story, "Store at controlled room temperature of 59-86° F (15-30° C)". Very odd again.


15-30 degrees C as room temperature seems a common guideline for medicines, a broad enough range to cover almost any normal indoor temp but indicating that it doesn't need to be kept refrigerated and that it shouldn't be kept in a car where it would really heat up.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

maybe they give a limited temperature range because they don't want you to extend the expiration date by storing in cooler temperatures??? I'd say ~35 - 45F was a great temperature to store most meds. I store most meds in the fridge. I think it extends the expiry date by years. Happy to hear any reason to believe otherwise.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

The expiration date is just the date that the manufacturer guarantees the meds are at full strength basically, they have to put a date on it. Keeping in the fridge would probably help but even just a room temperature location like a cupboard is fine and most meds last years and years after their expiry dates anyways.

Harvard Health article on drug expiration dates


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## sandylab (Jun 25, 2014)

During shipping I can guarantee that the temps in the truck go well over 77 in the summer and well under 68 in the winter. If they are kept in your house they will be fine until (and most likely for a few years after) the expiration date. All medicine comes with an expiration date, but most do not expire that quickly.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Expiry dates don't mean much. If the meat at the supermarket doesn't sell by the expiry date, they just slap a new expiry date on it. The expiry dates on medicine is just how long they're willing to back up that the product still works. It doesn't mean the medicine won't work past that date, just that you couldn't file a claim if it didn't. (Note: some medications do become dangerous when they get old enough break down, and others simply won't work very well, so if you have questions, call your doctor/vet.)


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I keep it in a drawer in my house. My house is consistently at 60-80 degrees (heat in winter, A/C in summer) which is close enough.


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## SARDOG (Aug 28, 2016)

Excellent question! This is a narrow range! But premium companies such as this derive their medications from large pharmaceutical companies employing large staffs of pharmacist who derive these storage guidelines. Outside of these guidelines temperatures medications degrade quickly or can even be ruined. So if you can't store in this narrow temp zone and you want the medication to have its maximum effectiveness, buy small quantities so you minimize the degradation out of storage temp range. People who claim they’ve never had a problem likely would have the same observation from a placebo. Though there is a wider storage temperature range for the generic, I would respect the published storage guidance for each!

I would suggest if you are in a cooler zone store it above your water heater. With a simple thermometer you can just leave it there for a while, take readings, and move it around until you find the best place in your house. Similarly in a warmer environment hunt the coolest place in similar fashion, or store it at an older friend’s house who is likely to keep their thermostat in a narrow range all of the time. As a general practice, O2 is the enemy of medications, so always keep all meds away from high moisture(H2O) environments such as bathrooms or above stove(steam from cooking).

Hope that is helpful.
-Greg


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