Worming And Flea Control Questions

[hails83]

Hi

I'm a little confused with the whole worming/flea/tick control treatment for my Mini Schnauzer pup Zali. Since I got her at 8 weeks, she has had her All wormer at 10 and 12 weeks. I now believe she needs to be wormed once every 3 months, however I have also read that pupies should be wormed monthly until they reach 6 months, and then every three months thereafter. Which is correct?

My other questions relates to flea control and heartworm. I have an Advocate sample to use for puppies, but haven't done so as I was going to wait until I needed to (in terms of when her intestinal worming was due). But, although she doesn't have fleas, I would like to use a preventative treatment ASAP (not to mentioned heartworm treatment). So, if I give her the Advocate now, will it matter that she only had her Allwormer tablet 3 weeks ago? I guess what I am asking is if I should get a different product other than Advocate that only treats fleas, and that way I wouldn't be "overlapping" on treatments. Does it matter if you overlap?

My vet nurse also mentioned something about giving a treatment to puppies at 5 months for heartworm - which made me think I didn't need to be giving Zali any heartworm treatments in the meantime. Now that I have been looking into the Advocate info, it sounds like I should be giving her preventative heartworm treatment which has me worried!

Sorry if this is a little confusing, however I am very confused! Help!

[Cavandra]

You need a regime that does not "overlap" on treatments.

If there are no mosquitos around then you cant get heartworm, and there shouldnt be too many fleas around either right now.

3 monthly intestinal wormer is more than enough, make sure the brand you get does Tapeworm, many puppy ones dont include it.

If your Vet nurse is talking about the annual heartworm injection & giving it at 5 months of age!!!!!! This injection is mentioned on this forum many times, most experienced people on this forum will tell you not to ever touch it let alone on such a young puppy. It is expensive & potentially life threatening........Monthly treatment throughout mosquito season is enough, and if you forget it is no big deal, it is not that easy to catch heartworm firstly & secondly the monthly products are good for 6 weeks in the dog ..........

Here is a regime that might suit.

Advantix (ticks & Fleas) OR Advantage (if only Fleas are a problems)

Canine Allwormer 3 monthly, plenty of other brands around like Drontal etc

Valuheart monthly heartworm OR Proheart/Heartguard brands

[becks]

We don't have heartwrom over here, so can't help with that one.

My minis are wormed at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months and then go onto 3 monthly.

Personally I don't like to treat for fleas unless the dog has fleas, I don't think it is good for a pup to have so many harsh chemicals used on them so often

[Leema]

Does your dog have fleas?

Does your dog have worms?

If not, I wouldn't use a de-fleaer or wormer.

Heartworm is more of a rare case, but it's about risk management. Do you have many mozzies around? Do you have heartworm in your area? Are your dogs inside/outside dogs? What is the weather like there? (Is it over 14C for 14 days straight, day and night?)

As heartworm is relatively rare in my area, my dogs live inside, and the weather rarely stays above 14C for 14 days straight, I don't use any heartwormers. It's an educated risk for me.

[lucknow]

Hi

I'm a little confused with the whole worming/flea/tick control treatment for my Mini Schnauzer pup Zali. Since I got her at 8 weeks, she has had her All wormer at 10 and 12 weeks. I now believe she needs to be wormed once every 3 months, however I have also read that pupies should be wormed monthly until they reach 6 months, and then every three months thereafter. Which is correct?

My other questions relates to flea control and heartworm. I have an Advocate sample to use for puppies, but haven't done so as I was going to wait until I needed to (in terms of when her intestinal worming was due). But, although she doesn't have fleas, I would like to use a preventative treatment ASAP (not to mentioned heartworm treatment). So, if I give her the Advocate now, will it matter that she only had her Allwormer tablet 3 weeks ago? I guess what I am asking is if I should get a different product other than Advocate that only treats fleas, and that way I wouldn't be "overlapping" on treatments. Does it matter if you overlap?

My vet nurse also mentioned something about giving a treatment to puppies at 5 months for heartworm - which made me think I didn't need to be giving Zali any heartworm treatments in the meantime. Now that I have been looking into the Advocate info, it sounds like I should be giving her preventative heartworm treatment which has me worried!

Sorry if this is a little confusing, however I am very confused! Help!

Pups should be wormed monthly until 6 months of age. Roundworm are the main concern as the majority of pups are infected inutero, to give complete treatment a product that treats 11 types of intestinal worms is ideal.

Advocate is an excellent product and a 'double up' of wormers will not do any harm whatsoever. If you choose Advocate as your flea preventative remember it does not treat tapeworm (separate tablets available) but it does treat more lifestages of the roundworm and has ongoing activity which is one of the reasons for it's popularity. I use the product on my fosters as they tend to arrive with lots of crawlies and the ear mite treatment is an added bonus.

WRT heartworm treatment and age to begin, the old monthly treatments needed to be started before 6 months of age or the dog needed a heartworm test before product could be supplied. Some vets still stick to the 6 month rule and so recommend you start just before that age. I prefer to start asap, and get into a routine before it becomes critical (while microfilariae are still circulating, it takes btw 75-120 days to migrate to the heart). Heartworm is relatively easily prevented but terrible expensive and traumatic to treat. Is is not common in Melbourne, only 8% of foxes have it! Not a reasonable risk for me anyway.

[Joypod]

Does your dog have fleas?

Does your dog have worms?

If not, I wouldn't use a de-fleaer or wormer.

Heartworm is more of a rare case, but it's about risk management. Do you have many mozzies around? Do you have heartworm in your area? Are your dogs inside/outside dogs? What is the weather like there? (Is it over 14C for 14 days straight, day and night?)

As heartworm is relatively rare in my area, my dogs live inside, and the weather rarely stays above 14C for 14 days straight, I don't use any heartwormers. It's an educated risk for me.

I thought heartworm was still quite a problem in Adelaide. A family friend had their two labs die from it because they didn't give them heartworm treatments.

[Leema]

I guess perhaps not rare, but not as common as in the eastern states.

[hails83]

Pups should be wormed monthly until 6 months of age. Roundworm are the main concern as the majority of pups are infected inutero, to give complete treatment a product that treats 11 types of intestinal worms is ideal.

Advocate is an excellent product and a 'double up' of wormers will not do any harm whatsoever. If you choose Advocate as your flea preventative remember it does not treat tapeworm (separate tablets available) but it does treat more lifestages of the roundworm and has ongoing activity which is one of the reasons for it's popularity. I use the product on my fosters as they tend to arrive with lots of crawlies and the ear mite treatment is an added bonus.

WRT heartworm treatment and age to begin, the old monthly treatments needed to be started before 6 months of age or the dog needed a heartworm test before product could be supplied. Some vets still stick to the 6 month rule and so recommend you start just before that age. I prefer to start asap, and get into a routine before it becomes critical (while microfilariae are still circulating, it takes btw 75-120 days to migrate to the heart). Heartworm is relatively easily prevented but terrible expensive and traumatic to treat. Is is not common in Melbourne, only 8% of foxes have it! Not a reasonable risk for me anyway.

Thanks for the info - so if Advocate is used on a puppy that is under 6 months old, a diagnostic test is not required?