Replying to a message of Fred Burgess to Bob Ackley:

 FB> On Oct 08, 2010 05:29pm, FRED BURGESS wrote to BOB ACKLEY:


 FB>> On Aug 24, 2010 06:11am, BOB ACKLEY wrote to RICHARD WEBB:

 BA>>> Replying to a message of Richard Webb to all:

 RW>>>> DRug companies are finding that with *all* heartworm
 RW>>>> preventatives there seems to be a 2-4% failure rate.  drug
 RW>>>> companies are paying to treat dogs who contract heartworm
 RW>>>> while on their preventative anyway, but this is with *all*
 RW>>>> preventatives, this two to four percent failure rate.

 RW>>>> I was told by somebody else, and started using when my
heart guard
 RW>>>> ran out a product acquired from the local farm store. Can't think
 RW>>>> of the name off top of my head Bob A. but will get it if
 RW>>>> interested. DOc told me only disadvantage of using this stuff is
 RW>>>> that if my Schotzi contracts heartworm the drug company
won't back
 RW>>>> me on it.

 BA>>> Several years ago I was paying for Iverheart tablets but the things
 BA>>> are just too expensive if one has several dogs.  I explained that
 BA>>> to my vet (who has since retired for medical reasons) and he made
 BA>>> up a solution of preventive for me, I squirt 1/2 cc of the stuff
 BA>>> into each dog's mouth once a month.  The bottle lasts about two
 BA>>> years (with 10-12 dogs) and costs about $65.

 BA>>> So I don't have to lay out $120/month for Frontline or about the
 BA>>> same amount for heartworm preventive - and the dogs don't have
 BA>>> fleas, ticks or heartworm.

 BA>>> I do have to find a cure for ear mites, though.

 FB>  A little ointment may help there.  Not sure, as my dogs haven't had 
 FB> mites since I got them (whew!)

 FB>  Now for your preventive that you use for heartworm/flea sounds like
 FB> it  would work wonders for my beasties ... the beagle is allergic to
 FB> just  about everything I give her (it seems that way), and frontline, 
 FB> Advantic, Hartz, etc all make her break out.

Frontline and Iverhart make my wallet break out; note that I've been unemployed for 
25 months now and am on a fixed income.  Was talking with the vet a
while back and he said Frontline is up to about $15/dose.  I have twelve dogs,
that's $180 ... a month, which is $30 more than I'm spending on dog food,
plus another
$120/month for Iverhart (were I using it).  I prefer a teaspoon of vinegar
per quart of
water in the dogs' drinking water.  Been using vinegar now for about five
years and no
fleas or ticks, and I live on a rural acreage.  Note that it works for cats, too.

As I said above, for heartworm the vet makes me up a clear solution that I
squirt 1/2 cc
of into each dog's mouth with a syringe once a month.  He charges me $65
for the bottle.

Insofar as the rashes and scratching are concerned, talk to your vet and
see if something
like Benadryl (or generic equivalent) will work for it - more importantly,
not hurt the dog.

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