NexGard SPECTRA launches in Ja as all-in-one protection for dogs
Published:Saturday | July 19, 2025 | 12:10 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
It is said that although dogs aren’t our whole life, they do make our lives whole. With that in mind, those furry companions need all the love and protection they can get. And for devoted pet parents, that’s where NexGard SPECTRA comes in.
The product was recently launched on the island at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St Andrew, courtesy of Hi-Pro, in association with Boehringer Ingelheim. Among the items of the programme was an in-depth product presentation from the senior professional service veterinarian at Boehringer Ingelheim, Dr J Alex Thomasson.
He delved into the scientific studies of the product’s complex components, giving us great insight into the uses and active ingredients. The chewable tablet protects against both internal and external parasites, delivering rapid and sustained efficacy against common external parasites such as ticks and fleas, as well as internal parasitic worms like heartworm and hookworm.
“NexGard SPECTRA also helps prevent lungworms and eye worms [and the] establishment of the Spirocerca lupi in the oesophagus, and indirect[ly] prevents tapeworms. We call it the ‘one and done’ treatment, since it stands as the world’s number one selling parasitic brand,” Dr Thomasson told Saturday Living.
The international veterinarian went on to share that the product is highly palatable, “It has a tasty beef flavour, but it is soy based, so it is fine for dogs with beef or chicken allergies. It can be taken with or without food. It is safe for puppies at eight weeks. It should be taken every 30 days, and it is now approved for pregnant, breeding and lactating dogs.”
This all-in-one medication also helps treat mite infestations like mange, which is prevalent among stray dogs in Jamaica, according to expert veterinarian Dr Kathy-Ann Leon.
“We recognise locally that we have a flea and tick problem. But we have a lot of stray dogs as well. And they have a heavy mange problem. Dogs have all the fur dropping out, especially with the stray population. Because of the high number of strays, we have a maintenance of these ectoparasite populations, being the mites, which cause mange, as well as the fleas and the ticks,” she explained.
The first product of NexGard did its best to safeguard in this protection, but there were other silent killers at play, like heartworm, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. This required more care that the product was able to offer.
“A lot of people don’t treat their animals for heartworm,” she revealed, adding, “Those that do treat their animals religiously have always had to be using two products: the NexGard [and] Heartgard. What’s nice about NexGard SPECTRA is that for those persons who are faithful to treating heartworm, this product is just one product and done. We don’t have to do anything else.”
She believes that this is a fantastic addition to the market. “It’s very convenient for me as a vet. I no longer have to buy two products. I’m just going to buy one product. This product will help in treating puppies at nine weeks while on their visit for their second vaccine. Instead of giving them an injection for heartworm or asking pet owners to purchase another heartworm, I can now offer my clients one tablet and protect the animals from internal and external parasites.”
She explained that the product treats nearly all external parasites, including invisible ticks and mites that cause mange. It also eliminates screwworm flies, which appear in wounds caused by infestations, helping those wounds heal faster by preventing infection. Additionally, many people don’t realise that it also kills mosquitoes.
Veteran veterinarian Dr Paul Cadogan agrees, revealing that when the NexGard brand was first introduced to the local market several years ago, it revolutionised the management of fleas and ticks on dogs in Jamaica.
“Nothing else that was here previously could compare. In Jamaica, we discovered that it worked well in killing worms,” he highlighted.
Now that NexGard SPECTRA combines the work of NexGard and Heartgard, which had to be given separately, it has elevated the brand’s level of protection.
NexGard SPECTRA, he says, is a bit different from Heartgard, as far as ingredients are concerned. But it accomplishes the same mission, “They do the same thing and they kill the same spectrum of worms. So it will make things easier on many dog owners who are conscious about keeping their dogs on Heartgard and NexGard to just do one product; one dose and it’s done. Having the SPECTRA is good in that those people who go for it will also be keeping their dogs free of internal worms, including heartworm, which is so prevalent in the flat areas of the island.”