Let's See Your Dogs!!

I think your dog was a cat in a previous life.

Amazing!

 

I am so sorry for you and your family. It was beautiful that she was able to stay in the comfort of her home with all her loved ones. Although we always wish they could live forever, one of the greatest lessons we learn is when they pass. I hope your hearts heal quickly, and never forget those wonderful 9+ years. RIP Laila

 

Trudy and the olsin family are sorry for your loss and praying for healing.

 

Sorry for your loss.

 

Here is my Beagle. She is 4 now

 

How many of you give your dogs heart worm pills and the lepo shot?

 

My dog is mostly goikg to be inside or my back yard. He isnt going to be exposed to other dogs to much.

 

I'll chime in, but I'm a little wacky about this kind of stuff and I am sure some folks may attack my point of view. That's fine, but my dogs are mine, yours are yours, you do what you want and your spacer lift is a piece of shit.

I currently have 5 dogs, have had many before these. I remember when the whole heartworm thing started, did the chews for a while but stopped early on and never did it again. Never had an issue, and always lived in areas on the edge of town where there are mosquitos and strays in the woods.

Here's my thinking, not based on any specific data or science, but maybe someone can get a grant and do some of that, because I think it's a racket. First, the heartworm lifecycle is a bit complex and requires very specific conditions and timing. Second, a healthy dog that is not under stress has a good immune system and will overcome the parasite naturally if it does actually happen. Regularly poisoning your dog just because something might happen, to me, is silly and bad for the dog. My vet back in TX understood how I felt about it and didn't push it, but one of her partners hounded me once. I asked how many cases they had seen, and got a "maybe 1 in the last year." And it was a stray that someone brought in. And this was a country vet that should have seen a lot.

Pay attention to their diet, coat, skin, weight, mental state, and get them the right amount of exercise and they will live happy, healthy lives with minimal medical intervention.

Sorry about wiggle butt. I am sure she was sad to leave you and hopes someone will take care of you as well as she did.

 

I like this guy.

 

give mine heartguard monthly. don't do the lepo shot. Only use flea stuff, when I see critters. Don't want to take a chance on the heart worms. Lost a pup to them years ago. There are lots of cases of heart worms out here. Your dog, your choice.

 

I second this. She's on a monthly also, because she likes to eat others bad things. She was also infected with a type of lungworm, due to scrounging around eating rabbit or deer poop. So yes for the cost we erred on the side of caution from there on out. I don't believe we've ever done a Lepo shot. But due to our woods behind us, flea and tick in the warm months. I agree with Susan, your dog.

 

This does not matter for worms. They can be transmitted by almost anything. They actually believe the lung worm our pup picked up could have come from a slug going through feces of something else, walking on her water bowl, toys, etc and you get the rest... And she is inside with us, sleeps inside, she just hangs out while we're out and plays outside.

 

Fuck yeah, I'm a vet tech and I agree. If your dog is healthy his immune system is quite capable of fighting off heartworm larva in the months it takes for it to grow into a problem. The side effects from heartworm preventatives aren't worth it. I'm on the fence about vaccines. I don't think they need to be yearly but I don't know how long they ACTUALLY last in the body. And no one truly does because vaccine companies want you to vaccinate as often as possible.

 

Titer before vaccinations to determine need... However, some states have mandatory vaccine regs

 

"I'm in the crate dad"

 

X3. Also to the it is your dog, your choice. With Tollers I give the minimum needed as the custom has always been for NSDTR. Heartworm is a very real threat here, many think of it mainly just in the South but that is not true. All of my dogs have had Lyme disease by the time they were one no matter what I use for prevention and ticks are the real threat for my dogs. And me.

 

I give boomer Hearguard and Nexguard each month. We live in South FL and there is no freeze here, thus no natural inhibitors to any pest population growth.

While my house is well within the city limits, we are just off a nature preserve for the river that has protected access all the way to the ocean. By just off I mean the house across the street has the preserve fence as their back fence. It is VERY common to see raccoons, squirrels, feral cats and dogs, armadillo, turtles, and bobcats. I take the treat of all insects seriously, pest control for the house, yard, the wife's cat, and my pup.

 

You all awesome input amd are very knowledgeable with this stuff. Thank you. How do I get the dog to take the pill then? He wont chew it with any type of food or even peanut butter, bacon. I am not expieranced with shoving the pill down his throat.