following up a message from Richard Webb to all:

I'm sure many of you remember this little note i posted last April.  I wrote:

RW> Got an interesting little note from our veterinarian
RW> yesterday admonishing us to switch from the heart guard
RW> we've been using to a new product, which supposedly does
RW> flea control, supplanting the Front line for that purpose.
RW> ONly trouble is, for those of us who are rural, or semi
RW> rural is that it doesn't do tick  control.

RW> They say in this little note:  "We have had an unacceptable
RW> number of dogs test positive for heartworm that have been on pone of
RW> the preventatives listed ... "

RW> OF course heart guard is listed.

AS you know that's induced me to shift veterinarians when
they tried blowing smoke up my tailpipe on this when I asked for hard
numbers and where we might look at the study.  SO,
we've done the vinegar water, and bought a supply of
preventative while we debated what to do.

AS you all know, Schotzi injured herself SAturday night, and mommy's baby
needed to see the doctor today for that reason.

ADvantages;  NEw vet is on the town's square, about a mile
up the road.  sHe and I can walk there, if she's able to
walk, which is coming back again.  Lower rates too, small
storefront vet practice.

SO I tell this guy I've two good references on him, one a
local Brittany spaniel breeder and boarding kennel owner,
the other an associate from cert classes and emergency
preparedness work.  THen I tell him that I liked her last
docs, and she liked them, but they tried to bs me on the
preventative thing.

THen I explain that I'm a northern country boy.  NOrthern
country boys aren't like southern country boys.  Southern
country boys'll put a pinch between cheek and gum and chew
the fat with ya all day, after all the weather's warm and
you'll get around to it.  NOrthern country boys want the
straight dope NOW because daylight and warm weather are both in short
supply and time's wasting so let's get a move on here.
SO what he tells me is the straight dope is this:

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

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

MEanwhile we've got another intestinal worm, treating with a kill 'em drug
now, a syringe given by mouth daily.  ONe of
the heartworm preventatives he recommends kills it too.
HE advises no way to kill this intestinal parasite, native
to my environment.  HE says I'd have to dig up over a foot
of topsoil in my yard to remove it.
.

HIs advice, should I stay on the generic livestock heartwomr preventative
is that I come in and get the deworming dosage
every 3-4 months.
IN short, that's what I learned in school today .

Also for those interested, generic livestock heartworm
preventative is an injectable, so if you're uncomfortable
giving your dog a shot it isn't for you.


Regards,
           Richard
... Everybody does better when everybody does better.
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+