Dog People--advice wanted!

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13

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  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Poor baby :( But at least she has a good, responsible momma looking after her! :flowerforyou: I grew up with two shepherds, the first one died when I was about 16, the other died about a week ago. They both had problems with their joints, I guess it's common with shepherds.

    So sorry about the loss (have you read Rainbow Bridge)
    Oh it is so are digestive issues. She's got both. We've only had her since November. She's a great dog. We suspect someone dumped her (the rescue found her as a stray)... because of all her medical issues.

    Oh we also have to give her a B12 shot once a week. This poor thing.

    Thank you. She went pretty peacefully, so nothing too traumatizing, no I haven't but will check it out. Unfortunately people dump them because of the issues but don't consider what happens after that :L
  • jgcurry3
    jgcurry3 Posts: 172 Member
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    Here in Texas there are mobile shot clinics in front of HEB (a grocery store) they provide vaccinations and medications at ridiculously discounted prices.
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
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    Personally, I think it depends on what you do with your dog and how much outdoor activity they see. If they are not around a lot of other dogs, IE dog parks, doggy daycare, etc.. then they may not be necessary. I give my 3 heartguard but not frontline... I live in the city and they are not playing in the woods or in tall grass so I don't think the frontline is useful. If you do want your dog to be on the meds try calling different vets or even research online to see if you can get better pricing. You don't have to go through your vet for it. Good Luck!!

    I agree. We don't give our dogs Heartguard because they're not around other dogs other than each other too often. And we are outside with them and constantly watching them when they are. We do give Frontline though because we have a cabin out in the country and they're always out running around the fields. You should not have pets if you can't afford or don't want to take care of the things that they need!

    it does not matter if your dog is around other dogs or not to contract heartworm.

    Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes-so if you live in an area that does not have mosquitoes, then you are all set.

    Discount pet pharmacies DO NOT purchase their product from the drug manufacturers directly. They buy in bulk from "who knows where", maybe some small town vet that wants kickbacks from the drug company for purchasing high quantities, or the black market. There have been many cases where a pet had a bad reaction to a medication from places like 1-800 PetMeds, and since they don't track where the product came from, and they weren't a licensed distributor, the drug company refused to pay for medical treatment for the pet, usually, the end result is not a happy result.

    -Signed, a former Veterinary Technician/Inventory Manager
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Personally, I think it depends on what you do with your dog and how much outdoor activity they see. If they are not around a lot of other dogs, IE dog parks, doggy daycare, etc.. then they may not be necessary. I give my 3 heartguard but not frontline... I live in the city and they are not playing in the woods or in tall grass so I don't think the frontline is useful. If you do want your dog to be on the meds try calling different vets or even research online to see if you can get better pricing. You don't have to go through your vet for it. Good Luck!!

    I agree. We don't give our dogs Heartguard because they're not around other dogs other than each other too often. And we are outside with them and constantly watching them when they are. We do give Frontline though because we have a cabin out in the country and they're always out running around the fields. You should not have pets if you can't afford or don't want to take care of the things that they need!

    Then you should look into Heartguard. Heartworms are completely preventable and are not just transferred by coming into contact with another dog. Anti-heartworm medication is essential for the well being of your pet. Any good vet will tell you that.
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
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    Personally, I think it depends on what you do with your dog and how much outdoor activity they see. If they are not around a lot of other dogs, IE dog parks, doggy daycare, etc.. then they may not be necessary. I give my 3 heartguard but not frontline... I live in the city and they are not playing in the woods or in tall grass so I don't think the frontline is useful. If you do want your dog to be on the meds try calling different vets or even research online to see if you can get better pricing. You don't have to go through your vet for it. Good Luck!!

    I agree. We don't give our dogs Heartguard because they're not around other dogs other than each other too often. And we are outside with them and constantly watching them when they are. We do give Frontline though because we have a cabin out in the country and they're always out running around the fields. You should not have pets if you can't afford or don't want to take care of the things that they need!

    it does not matter if your dog is around other dogs or not to contract heartworm.

    Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes-so if you live in an area that does not have mosquitoes, then you are all set.

    Discount pet pharmacies DO NOT purchase their product from the drug manufacturers directly. They buy in bulk from "who knows where", maybe some small town vet that wants kickbacks from the drug company for purchasing high quantities, or the black market. There have been many cases where a pet had a bad reaction to a medication from places like 1-800 PetMeds, and since they don't track where the product came from, and they weren't a licensed distributor, the drug company refused to pay for medical treatment for the pet, usually, the end result is not a happy result.

    -Signed, a former Veterinary Technician/Inventory Manager

    I've been using 1800petmeds for over a decade and have never had any problems with their medications. These scare tactics that come out of vet offices are ridiculous. I have yet to hear a single person say that they actually had a bad experience or knew someone directly that had a bad experience with online pharmacy medications - the only people I've ever heard this line of thought from were people working in vet's office or grooming facilities that compete with online pharmacies for sales.
  • ladyshowbiz
    ladyshowbiz Posts: 1
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    Hi - Yes you really do need the heartworm meds. Cost is based on weight of animal for that med so it should not be too expensive alone. Try and get a scrip written from your vet to search online for them if what he offers is too steep. Years ago having dogs was different, they did not take these things but then again there was less danger out there with infections, insect bites, etc. it is more hazardous now. They will not hurt your dog and it will protect them.
  • Bxrlvr73
    Bxrlvr73 Posts: 82 Member
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    YES!! From someone who has experienced the cost and time it took for a pet to recover from the treatment to get rid of the heart worms, a preventive every month is worth it!
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
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    bump for later.

    just my 2 cents, I have 1 dog and while he's not exposed to other dogs that much nor do we have a yard for him to play in, I walk him everyday and give him trifexis once a month because I rather be safe than sorry.

    I just adopted a dog a little less then a month ago and am using Trifexis on him as well.
  • workavoidance
    workavoidance Posts: 28
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    Don't have a dog if you aren't willing to pay for regular proper medical care.
  • strickland8052
    strickland8052 Posts: 105 Member
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    Yes, at the very least PLEASE get heart worm prevention. I had a dog die of heart worms, it was really sad knowing that she died from something we could have prevented! You owe it to your fur baby. You can shop around for the cheapest... .it doesn't have to be an expensive name brand.

    If your dog doesn't have a flea problem and isn't around other dogs, then there is no need for frontline, IMO. But if fleas are bad in your area and your dog has had infestations in the past, you might want to look into it to protect your own self and home. Shop around for that too.

    Also, there are combination treatments that have flea prevention AND heartworm prevention in one pill. It is more expensive than heart guard but cheaper than buying heart guard and frontline (plus more convenient)
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
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    If your dog doesn't have a flea problem and isn't around other dogs, then there is no need for frontline, IMO. But if fleas are bad in your area and your dog has had infestations in the past, you might want to look into it to protect your own self and home. Shop around for that too.

    Frontline is for Ticks as well. If you live if a high tick area (North East) You MUST protect your dog from Lyme Disease..
  • bikhi
    bikhi Posts: 175
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    i get revolution online at 'deadfleaz.com'. it's in australia where you don't need a script for heart-worm meds. my vet couldn't match their price.
  • emiliewright
    emiliewright Posts: 148 Member
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    My advice, get the dog a good home. These things are necessary, if your skeptical about this then how will you face a real vet bill should something come up. Gold fish, cheap, don't eat much and easy to flush

    Dont be silly, my dog has a good home, I just wasnt sure of what I needed to do. I ordered the stuff, back off.
  • vstraughan
    vstraughan Posts: 163 Member
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    Heartworm medication is a MUST. Not to sound like a jerk but if you can't afford it then you shouldn't have the dog in the first place. This is essential preventative medicine.

    Flea/tick control is optional but unless you want to deal with vet bills and pest control later I would highly recommend using SOMETHING. I buy online typically because it's cheaper than most vet's offices.

    Good shout. My parents have bred show dogs for decades. They will never skimp on worming or any immunisation (although my mum does it homeopathically - proven) but good grooming (& luck) mean fleas are a rarity. They still keep some flea & tick 'stuff' in the house because nothing will keep the little buggers permanently at bay.

    Also agree with all statements about buying online. Only insane people buy non-prescription stuff from vets. The mark-up is horrendous.
  • KaleeCat
    KaleeCat Posts: 152 Member
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    I'm a receptionist at a veterinary clinic. I don't use Frontline because my little dog doesn't spend a ton of time outside. I do use Heartgard because I would rather try to prevent heartworm because the price and agony if treating it sucks....a lot. I don't see a lot of pets get it but when I do it really sucks :( Also the Heartgard company will cover all/most of the costs of the treatments if you can prove you gave the Heartgard the same time each month. Which I have seen them stay true to that guarantee :)
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    Heartworm medicine is a necessity. Depending on where you live, you may not need it year long. In Northern MI, we use it from early spring to late fall (from thaw to freeze). We have never had a problem with fleas, and don't use the flea medication.
  • JessFox33
    JessFox33 Posts: 66 Member
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    Check out Sergeant's Green - it's all natura,l non toxic and relatively cheap! My dog got fleas really bad and I wont put chemicals on her so I bought this and it worked like a charm plus smelled good but it did stain the white fur on her neck for a few days. they also have heartworm prevention too. Another natural flea repellant - coconut oil. <-- love the stuff, use it on my whole family including the dog! =)
  • quietHiker
    quietHiker Posts: 1,442 Member
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    Took our pup to the vet last week and the vet recommended Trifexis..it fights heartworm, fleas, and intestinal worms, all with one chewable tablet. You can find it online for less than $100.
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
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    I don't get any of that stuff for my dogs. My Chi has liver disease so I'm against giving him any extra meds with chemicals and such since it's hard on his body to process. And my Boxer has severe skin allergies so I don't like giving her anything extra either. My Chi is now almost 10 years old and has never had any other major illnesses or flea infestations and my Boxer is now 2 and has not had any trouble with fleas or anything.

    It really depends on your risk factors for the area you live in as well. But I think people are too quick to overmedicate and inject with needless vaccines when they aren't needed. I even fought with ym vet over boostering my Chi with an extra rabies vaccine when he didn't need it yet because they last for 3 years after the initial boosters as a puppy and they wanted to do it yearly. I wasn't having it.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    I have fostered for a rescue for 10 years. At the beginning, we were the HW fosters, which meant we would foster the HW positive dogs and take them through treatment before adopting them out. HW is preventable, if you are willing to shell out the money to use the preventative. Lots of people aren't and the people like us have to watch the agony these dogs go through when they have to be treated for HW. I have had foster dogs in so much pain (even with steroids and pain medications in them) that they would just sit and stare at the wall, some of them whining the entire time.

    I have watched one of my fosters almost die after her second treatment as the HWs made their way through her respiratory system. I have seen the long term damage from HW, dogs who could not run and play normally because of the heart and lung damage caused by the HW. Young dogs who should have been able to enjoy their lives, but couldn't because the previous owners didn't want to go to the expense of using preventative.

    As far as I am concerned, HW preventative is a staple, not an option, when you own a dog.

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