Prevention of fleas, ticks, heartworms, intestinal parasites and more.

I’m not going to use this headline to tell you about the virtues of the products I use.   I just thought I’d share what I do to keep my companions healthy.

The first thing one seems to forget is the monthly administration of heart worm pills.  After that, regular application of your flea/tick preparations followed by regular vaccinations and prophylactic treatment of intestinal worms.  Annual health exams  and testing slip by too.

I have my heartworm pill administration set for a certain day each month.  I time it with something I remember month to month.  Flea and tick can be a combo preparation, which for me is a combination approach that kills and prevents fleas/ticks.

The biggest advice I can give you   …   … is number 1: Confer with your Vet for a systematic approach in caring for you dogs.  Cover all the basis when you speak with your Vet.  You want a monthly / annual program for your dogs that ensures you are doing what is best for prevention of problems.

Have questions prepared and bring a notepad.  New products come out every year.  Ask about the latest products on the most routine of visits.  There are many 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 products as well as products that are better and safer for your companion.

What I do for a training kennel:

Flea and tick care is done twice a month.  I use two different types of products.  I incorporate a weak dog dip solution in addition to a barrier spray product.  The frequency of application in my program changes month to month depending on the time of year and presence of pests.  I believe you can overdo it by using too much too often.  There are thousands of products out there so pick one that is best for you and your lifestyle.  There are sprays, dips, drops and yes, pills.  Each Vet has their own favorites and it varies widely from Vet to Vet.

Heartworm pills are administered monthly.  There is much debate as to who makes the best hearworm product so I won’t tell you mine is best.  I have used Interceptor and Sentinel brand heartworm pills for nearly 20 years.  There hasn’t been much improvement in this field.  There is now a shot and now drops that gets fleas/ticks/heartworms combined.  I have found that Interceptor is excellent for the prevention of intestinal parasites as well which is one reason why I use it.  It reliably kills and prevents common intestinal parasites.  That means a lot to me.

I have a software program as well as standard health records where I record the care my dogs get with regard to vaccines, health exams and such.  I never rely on the Vet to contact me with a courtesy card.  I have a regular, hang on the wall, calendar to help remind me in case of computer issues.

I schedule my annual health exams, blood / urine tests, vaccinations, etc for the same time every year.  For me, that is March and April (some vaccines need a couple shots a few weeks apart).  If I have a new puppy, I mark it down based on age of the pup and do my best to get him on my annual check-up program as quickly as possible.

In the last 20 years, annual health exams have caught one male with early cancer in one testical as well as one female (that I purchased from someone else) with heartworms.  The vet can catch other minor issues too such as ear infections, diet problems, etc.

Annual exams give me peace of mind.  I get bloodwork done that tests for several dieseases.  Fecal testing is done to verify that Interceptor is doing its job in preventing heart worms/fecal worms (does not prevent all fecal worms) as well as the presence of organisms such as giardia and coccidia.

Like they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Take care and give your dog a treat for me!

Dave