# Is it necessary to use & give your dog/puppy flea & tick, heartworm medication monthl



## Havluv (Dec 13, 2010)

*Is it necessary to use & give your dog/puppy flea & tick, heartworm medication monthl*

Is it necessary to use & give your dog/puppy flea & tick, heartworm medication monthly for the rest of their lives? 
Does it cause more harm than good?

Also do you need to brush their teeth once a day & give them dental care treats too? or brush their teeth more or less often & without dental care treats? :brushteeth:

How many times a day should I brush my havanese puppy/dog if i decide to keep him in puppy cut? 
How many times should I give him a bath & what is too much bathing? 
same Q for ear & eye cleaning?

Thank you


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Yes, if you want to be a responsible pet owner, it is up to you to take care of your Hav. And, this means giving medications that will prevent Heartworms, Fleas, and Ticks. 

I brush maybe 2-3 times week. In a puppy cut, it will not take long at all to brush. Havs are magnets (leaves, sticks, or whatever will stick); you will want to get this stuff off their hair or they will tangle rely bad. 

Brushing teeth, aim for 2x week, if you are really diligent, 5x week or more. As a small dog, they will have dental problems if you are not careful. Dental chews are good, it gives them something to do and it provides some chewing action. 

As a puppy, you Hav will get dirty fast, once they settle down after a year, you could probably get away with a bath every 2-3 times month in a puppy cut. 

As long as you use a quality shampoo and conditioner once a week bathing is good. In the Winter, I would lengthen the time out a little. 

Ear/Eye - You will be handling your Hav, so you are going to want his eyes clean when needed. Be gentle. Ears with bathing (weekly); smell and look for ear problems. 

My opinions....I am not an expert, just a loving Mom.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

I agree with Linda she has given you careful answers. All the things you ask about are part of responsible pet ownership. Even dogs in a short cut need to be brushed. Heartworm in ARZ is a must depending on where you live and your life style with your dog,you need to talk to your Vet on what he/she feels is best, some people at certain times of the year there need to use Frontline(or other) twice a month due to the ticks and what they carry. Tooth brushing is clearly good for the future of your dogs heart health and if done reg. will cut down on how many times you need to have them cleaned by the Vet.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

I am torn about the heartworm. My cat tested positive which means he has been exposed, but was negative for the antigen test. So there are not adult worms in him. He is primarily indoors, but 11% of heartworm positive cats are indoor only. The only way a cat can get heartworm is from a mosquito that has fed on an infected dog. Dogs, fox and coyote are hosts for heartworm. Cats are not. I have done a ton of research. Heartworm pills are not "prevention". They kill any worms your dog may have contracted. It takes 6 months for the worms to grow to adulthood. That is when the medicine can kill them. One source I read suggested giving it May1 and Dec 1. Do you even have mosquitoes in Arizona? The flea and tick meds are insecticides and I am not sure how I feel about putting that on my pets as it is poison. From what I read most of them make the flea sterile, but don't actually kill the flea that is on your pet. Do research and decide what is best for you. Products containing cyphenothrin and permethrin are especially problematic for small breed dogs. My vet put my dog on Sentinel, but I think I am going to use Hartguard (for heartworm-it is Ivermectin and is supposed to be the safest) a few times a year and I am still researching the flea and tick issue and the safest option. The Sentinel makes her feel bad for a few days. My cats seem to do fine on their Revolution-never act under the weather. I am sure you (and I) will get some good suggestions. There is a thread on here about what other members use.

ETA; one holistic vet I read recommended Interceptor for heartworm and Frontline for fleas and ticks. Frontline does kill adult fleas. The Sentinel I use does not kill fleas, but stops them in their developmental stage.

Lizzie is full coat and I comb her everyday. She had a bath and week and a half ago and is definately due, but the weather is so ucky that she gets dirty when we go out. The groomer suggests bathing every 6 weeks so their skin does not dry out. I am shooting for every two weeks as her coat on her back is dry and could use a good conditioning. The rest of her is silky.

Lizzie is only a year old and I am learning, too.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Havluv, I will again stress the importance of talking to your Vet. The ticks in your part of the country carry Ehrlichiosis/tick fever this is a big problem our Hav's are small and there is not a big window of treatment for them. Also there is Rocky Mountain Fever and in remote areas there is some chance of ticks with Lyme.

Before you throw away the thought of using Heartworm learn about what Heartworms do. I live in the South over 75% of the dogs coming in to rescue have them. When the dog needs to be treated for an active infestation of Heartworm they need to take such stong does of Ivermectin that puppies and older dogs or dogs just not in the best health don't make it. I have been treated with Ivermectin (for humans) for a very bad case of Malaria, taking a poison was not pleasent but it was a heck of a lot better then the Malaria.

We all get to choose and plan the course for out pets. I respect what ever the owner of the pet feels they can live with. Just please talk to your vet and make for sure you are educated and informed before you choose.


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## Havluv (Dec 13, 2010)

yes I am aware of the huge responsibility it is to have a little dog friend. I was just wondering how much of everything & what is necessary & what is not. Some people had told me those products that are supposed to help actually kill you dog! I am so terrified of that that is why I ask so many questions I don't want to give him things that will hurt him. I want him to be in perfect health. I am not trying to run away from responsibilities only trying to learn more. I am super cautious about chemicals for myself so will do so for my puppy as well. I want to stay away from 1,4 dioxane in dog products as well. The products that most contain it are children's! So no way am I going to use baby shampoo on my dog if it contains that crap. So yeah got to try to find a healthy one. In the human products you know that you are getting a product without 1,4 dioxane if it has the usda stamp only but I did some research and some products that are not 100% organic contain no 1,4 dioxane but it takes a lot of research to make sure.
The breeder that I talked to said that her vet tried to sell her unnecessary things just to make more money! So it is hard to just trust a vet.She told me to find a good vet.
Thank you for your answers & help : ) I appreciate it so much!!


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