Heartworm Dogs Symptoms
Flea/tick/heartworm medication necessary?
I’ve read certain foods/diets can keep fleas/ticks away (i.e. apple cider vinegar) and holistic websites insist that Frontline, Advantix, Revolution, etc are harmful irritants for the skin and never fully tested for reactions/symptoms/side effects on dogs.
http://www.naturalnews.com/022448.html
Some say the medications aren’t needed year round- some say they’re not necessary at all with proper care.
So which is it?
And if they’re necessary, which brands are safe?
I don’t think the costs will break me, but if I don’t need it and it’s harmful to our 3 month puppy then I’d rather not use them.
She’s a 3 month mini Havanese- will grow to be about 6-7lbs. We’ll take her to the park, go for walks, take her on trips, have her play w/ friend’s dogs. But for the most part, she’ll be an apt/wee wee pad dog.
We’re in NYC- Manhattan
http://thepuppyexperiment.wordpress.com/
Holistic medicine has it’s good points. While I think that there’s a real risk as far as some vaccines in over-vaccination—protecting your dog against heartworm disease is necessary. If you live in a heartworm-endemic area, it would be unwise to forgo heartworm preventative, likewise tick preventative. Untreated heartworm disease, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichiosis,
Basesiosis can have serious consequences. If you chose to have your dog tested regularly for those diseases and forgo preventative, that’s your choice.
I live in an area where some of those diseases can be found, so it’s in the best interest of my dog’s health to give her heartworm preventative, and flea/tick preventative.
( note: The author of that article in your link is a “clairvoyant natural healer”…..not someone I would reference regarding my dog’s health. In the article she wrote: ” Just recently, a direct mail company was promoting their services by citing the example of a veterinarian they had conducted a mail campaign for flea and tick preventative medication. The campaign occurred in December and the veterinarian was ecstatic that he had brought in $300,000 dollars in flea and tick medication sales in one month during the middle of winter” — sounds like quackery, right? A greedy vet? Maybe not. It neglects to mention where this vet is practicing. If it is an area of mild winters, the ticks may survive and be active for a longer period of time. It may be an area where heartworm-positive dogs are numerous, and owners in the past have been reluctant to give preventative. Global warming means ticks may not die or become dormant for as long a period as in the past:
http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/Environment/article/252129
http://www.rtcc.org/2007/html/res_edu_uou.html
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