[nagdu] heartworm prevention

[Julie J.]

I find it interesting that the reason that everyone seems to be citing for 
giving heartworm/flea and tick preventative is not taking the chance. 
Giving heartworm preventative and flea and tick treatments is also a risk. 
Vaccinations are a risk and so is just about everything else you put into or 
on your dog.  I think it's important to be aware of the risks associated 
with the medication too.  Then choose which seems to be the lesser risk to 
you in your particular situation, the medication or the actual illness.

I do not give heartworm preventative year around.  I also use natural bug 
prevention strategies.

Many years ago I went to college to study veterinary technology.   I'm sure 
vet medicine has changed a lot since then, but I want one thing to be clear 
to you all.  Dog food companies and pharmaceutical companies give free stuff 
to vets so they will in turn promote the use of those products.  It's the 
same in people medicine.  The pharmacy sales people give out free samples to 
doctors who pass them along to their patients.  Then if the medication works 
the patient gets a prescription from the pharmacy for the next months or 
years.  The pharmaceutical companies more than make up for those free 
samples.  The thing you may never find out is if there is a cheaper 
medication available that might work just as well.  Generics help somewhat, 
but the pharmaceutical industry is still making the big bucks.

I don't think it's as bad in animal medicine, but it does definitely happen. 
When I was in college all the information for our nutrition classes were 
provided by Science Diet for free of course.  Science Diet also provided all 
the dog and cat food for our kennel animals also for free.  I left vet tech 
school thinking Science Diet was some awesome food.  After all that's what 
the college told me and they must be right, right?  It wasn't until much 
later and a lot of vet bills with my dogs that I researched dog food on my 
own and uncovered some startling inconsistencies.

I do listen to my vet, but I also do my own research and I ask a ton of 
questions.  I've noticed when the vet realizes that I am very well informed 
I get a more honest approach to the situation.  I think vets are often 
responding to what people expect.  The norm is to vaccinate yearly so the 
vet obliges even when he knows it isn't absolutely necessary.  My vet does 
generally promote the use of heartworm treatment year around, but also is 
honest in admitting that it is because it is easier for people to remember 
what to do that way and not because dogs need heartworm treatment in January 
in Nebraska.

Julie