Thursday was a chilly day here. So chilly that there was nothing much playing on squirrel tv, seemingly it was too cold even for the squirrels to come out and play.
Luckily I had booked an appointment for the vets on Thursday morning and there is one thing Molly just loves to do is go for a ride in the car. I wanted to get the bloodwork done to make sure she doesn't have any heartworms and pick up some more steroids.
I have got her down to 1/2 a pill per day, and that is what we are going to keep her on for the foreseeable future. She has also lost 4lbs since she was last at the vets, and is down to 40lbs now, so that was another positive. Molly does have an ear infection at the moment, but I have that under control. Ear infections and Beagles go hand in hand.
However, the vet is pushing me to give her Advantage for flea control. I am undecided about it, although it is an external application and not something she has to ingest, so that is a positive. I have had her on a sprinkling of organic garlic powder for flea control which I thought would be better? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
When Molly got back from our outing she was pooped and laid down on the ottoman in the sun relaxing:
Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.
~Roger Caras
10 comments:
I have cats not dogs but still need to deal with fleas. I used to try to keep fleas under control with garlic in their diets & lots of washing (yeah, fun with the cats!). But one year the fleas were horrendous, we just couldn't control them & the cats were suffering. We went to the vet to get advantage, but came away with frontline instead (our vets preference). It said on the pack it would take a few days to start taking effect, but we noticed an absence of fleas & the cats looking happier within a few hours. It worked brilliantly.
Good news for Molly!! I don't use Advantage because it can have an adverse affect on cats and since we have one...I use Frontline, and use it very sparingly and I never put it on my senior dogs. If you're able to keep the tick and flea issue under control organically, then I would stick with that Gill--Advantage and Frontline are simply pesticides and putting that on an animal directly, while I do it maybe twice a year, it just doesn't seem like it is healthy for them...Just my thoughts on a Friday. Enjoy your weekend Gill!!
Our vet refuses to give Advantage; she says it is bad for the dogs. She uses Frontline. We also use HeartGuard and a special collar from the vet for additional tick control. I don't LIKE using the stuff, but the alternative is far worse. We had a dog get heartworms; you don't want to go there. It was awful. Arsenic treatments can kill a dog -- very expensive, too. Especially hard on an older dog that aleady has problems. We also put out lots of bird seed around the house and back porch to keep the birds down on the ground in hopes they will eat ticks, too. The pest control guy says keeping the dog under control is the best way to keep the yard under control -- which in turn makes it easier on the dog. Good luck!
Liz, Republic of Texas
we use frontline on the inside dog - so far it is working great.
kris
When I get home Max, my poodle, gets so excited that his bark turns into a howl. Then after I sit on the sofa, he jumps up and stays right on my lap. Yesterday I was on my knees bent over a small flower bed. I was checking to see if my seeds were germinating when Max came over, jumped up on my back, and layed right down on my back.
~Randy
What a lovely photo of Molly!
As for the Advantage, if the garlic powder is working and the fleas have stayed away, stick with that! Organic as much as possible is what I stick with for me and my pets :o)
Love the pic of Molly....Our dogs Mercy and Cleo love the sun too!
I prefer a natural alternative to the flea and ticks treatments...They both had nice tubbies w/Oatmeal Soap and then a rinse of 3 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar per gallon of water. They are basically indoors doggies.
That's an adorable photo of Molly and a wonderful quote - how true! Good luck on deciding what flea and tick treatment you decide on. I have a strong feeling for the more natural methods mentioned here and only wish I had known about them when I had our Bridgette.
Cute picture of Molly!
The weather has been cold, then hot, then cold and hot again. Crazy Canadian spring!
I think you probably have gathered that I prefer natural to chemical solutions. HOWEVER...I use Frontline every year on the cats and any foster cats/kittens I may have. ONE TIME I had a flea infestation (back in Ohio) and I never, ever want to go through that again. I"m also very allergic to flea bites and my whole body turns the colour of a freshly boiled lobster from them. How's that for a pretty picture...and it's odd when it happens because it looks like someone is inside my skin colouring it, it inches line by line from my feet all the way up to my head. It's a neat show, but I don't enjoy the itching. ;)
My only concern would be her allergies and sensitivities. Have you asked about desensitizing her for the allergies? I don't know if that's a treatment option for animals, but the humans I know who've had it have had great success! (and no more meds after treatment)
My sister uses garlic and lecithin and wheat germ for her dogs. She says it works. After our bad experience, I hate taking chances.
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