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A few hours of TV
viewing or a look at products on display at a veterinary clinic or
in magazine ads that you see will quickly reveal just how many pet
products are on the market today. Some of these products are used to
prevent parasitic infections in pets, specifically heartworm, fleas
and ticks. How is the pet owner to know which products are most
effective and, more importantly, which are safe for your pet? Does
every pet need protection and/or which are more likely to harm your
pet if used? These are questions you need to discuss with your
veterinarian before giving preventive medications.
We would like to
help you to organize your thoughts before discussing parasite
prevention with your veterinarian. If you have a better
understanding of these products, you will be more able to wisely
decide which your pet may need. Please read the entire article as
we share with you some of the pros and cons of parasite control.
There are
products that only control one parasite while some control several.
Most of the medications for heartworm control also have some effect
on parasitic worms. Other brands/products may also control fleas
and newer products include tick control. Understand that each of
these medications or chemicals is a form of poison in that it
destroys the pest or the larva of a pest. The dose in the product
is minimal and should not be harmful to your pet. There are
circumstances in which your pet can be harmed, especially if there
is a health problem present. This is why it is important that you
discuss your pet’s general health with the veterinarian before
administering the controls. We do not recommend the use of
over-the-counter medications that have not been prescribed by your
vet.
What about parasites and their danger to your
pet? Heartworm disease is carried by mosquitoes and heartworm
disease is found in dogs throughout the United States. Heartworm
can kill! We urge you to use a safe heartworm preventive.
Mosquitoes also carry West Nile virus. At this time we do not know
enough about this disease to know if it affects dogs. While it
appears that dogs are more resistant to this virus than humans,
there have been a few documented cases in dogs.
Fleas can transmit tapeworm though the
incidence of transmission to Bichons seems to be relatively low.
However for those few Bichons with flea allergy, being afflicted by
fleas is another misery that causes the Bichon with flea allergy to
suffer great distress. There would appear to be no need to use flea
prevention year round except in areas of the country where fleas are
present year round. Many Bichon owners feel comfortable with no
flea control because of the need to groom these hairy dogs daily.
They simply spot the fleas when they are present, remove and destroy
them, and avoid an infestation of fleas by this simple method of
control. In other words, if you don’t have fleas, there is no need
to prevent them!!! When they are present, use preventive only as
needed.
Ticks seem to occur in most parts of the
country but are more likely to be found on outdoor dogs. Since the
Bichon is principally a house dog, watching for ticks is much like
watching for fleas. Proper grooming will detect the occasional tick
before it can transmit disease. However ticks do transmit several
serious diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted
fever and Ehrlichiosis. Tick prevention is on a need basis and not
for every dog.
New products on the market are designed to prevent all three
types of parasite carriers, i.e. heartworm, fleas and ticks. As you
can understand, these products are designed for the outdoor pet, one
that is rarely in the house or that spends hours each day outside.
It is important that you assess your life style and the life style
of your pet when deciding which products you need to use. While
they are supposed to be entirely safe, there have been reports of
dogs, including Bichons, that have become ill after using these
preventives.
What sort of illnesses may occur? The
illnesses that seem to cause the most concern are those of the
autoimmune designation. An autoimmune disease is one in which the
body “attacks itself”. Your veterinarian will be happy to discuss
autoimmune disease with you, as well as to help you determine which
of the products you may need to use on or in your pet.
Unfortunately the dog that has an underlying autoimmune disease
may not develop overt symptoms until after you have given the
preventive. In other words, the illness was already present in the
dog but added stress causes it to become full blown systemic
disease. When using preventives, it is wise to observe closely any
changes that occur in your dog and consult with your veterinarian
about any that you see. Early treatment of autoimmune diseases can
mean the difference between life and death.
While there is a great need in this country
for preventive medications and while some dogs do need protection
from all parasites, it is important that these products not be
used indiscriminately. Unfortunately we do have reports of
reactions from almost all brands in a limited number of Bichons. We
urge you to have a discussion with your dog’s veterinarian and then
to decide if your lifestyle or the conditions in your area of the
country necessitate using one or all of them. The one most needed
in all dogs is heartworm prevention. The others should only be used
after careful consideration.
This article has been reviewed
by a veterinarian/breeder for accuracy.
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