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 your dogs.  I did and my vet gave me a ‘plan’ for complete annual health care of my dogs.  She wrote it down and I keep it in my office at home to remind me day to day, year to year.  I follow that advice!

Cover all the bases when you speak with your Vet.  You want a monthly / annual program for your dogs that ensures you are doing what is best for early diagnoses and 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 in months when bugs are out and about.  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 heartworm product so I won’t tell you mine is best.  I have used Interceptor and Sentinel brand (interceptor that includes a flea preventative) heartworm pills for nearly 20 years.  There hasn’t been much improvement in this field.  There is a shot as well as drops that are 3in1 for flea/tick/heart worm 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 routine bloodwork done that will help screen my dogs for illness and diseases.  Fecal testing is done to verify that Interceptor is doing its job in the aid of preventing fecal worms (does not prevent all fecal worms) as well as the presence of organisms such as giardia and coccidia. 

My annual heartworm testing now comes in a simple 4in1 test where just a few drops of blood tests for heartworms, ehrlichia (tick borne), Lymes (tick borne), and Anaplasmosis (another common deer tick transmitted bacteria).  My vet stays on top of this type of testing, particularly since many of her clients dogs are hunting dogs.  Ask your Vet what his heartworm test includes.  You may be surprised that the test your vet uses only tests for heartworms.  Many tick borne diseases are difficult to discover and diagnose. 

I have personally witnessed at least 2 client dogs in the last 3 years that came to my kennel with an underlying tickborne disease that was not diagnosed by the Vet who issued the health certificate!  Blood testing is the only positive way to diagnose some of these diseases.

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

Take care and give your dog a treat for me!

Dave