If you're using the services of a vet who does not keep up with the most up to date information available then it's time to seek out and establish yourself with one who does.

I feed a natural diet.. but I do keep my dogs on heartworm preventative.. I use the daily dose of Filarabits..As for fleas and ticks.. If I was in a tick infested area I would use Frontline.. this is what Jean Dodds suggests is the least offensive. Since I am not in a tick area.. I don't use any topical treatments.. however,, when I know I am going home to Conn. I make sure I put some Frontline on about 10 days before I go.. Tick borne diseases are devastating.

Jody

I am reluctant to medicate my dog, but when it comes to heartworm and fleas there is no other option IMHO. Over the years I have tried various drugs, but now I am on Sentinal a combination, heartworm flea and intestinal worm medication. Because my dog is 2lbs. shy of 50lbs. and the drugs are dispensed by weight, I insist that he stay in the lower category. Less toxicity, I believe.

Also, I have tried spacing the drug out over a 45-day period. Still no fleas. I only use 3-4 of the pills instead of the whole group of 6. I live in Ontario and start in June and treat until late September.

I also use a great dog shampoo called Mela-Miracle. It contains melaleuca (tea tree oil) that reportedly is great for the skin and a natural insect repellent itself. I have never had bug problems. And despite being bathed every two weeks (I have a black standard poodle), my dog has never had any skin problems. Mela-Miracle also sells what they call a coat lusterizer spray. You can use it between shampoos, or to freshen up your dogs coat after a good brushing.

My breeder recommended Mela-Miracle to me 9 years ago as the best shampoo on the market, but it does leave your dogs coat softer which is apparently not suitable if you're showing. It is quite pricey, but one 1 Gallon bottle of concentrate lasted me 7 years. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

If there is an herbal/holistic way to keep my dogs heartworm free-that's the way I'd choose even if it's not the 'norm'.

I'm not saying that switching to the BARF diet is the reason Oscar came up negative but I am certain it played some part in his bodies ability to rid itself of the hw's w/ the Paratox.

My vet has since recommended the same treatment I gave Oscar to another patient. I am in regular contact with her and IF she gets the same results as I did..I will probably stop all hw preventative and start to give Paratox on a regular basis.

Caniche...where do you purchase the Mela-Miracle from? I've never heard of it...Is it available online...I'll go look <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Mela-Miracle product information and distributor listings are listed on their home web-page http://www.miraclecoat.com MiracleCorp also sells products for horses.

I live in Ontario so I purchase all my products from The Pet Supply House. It's a great place. They sell all kind of dog products, training devices, etc. and even in bulk for those multi-dog households. They ship to the U.S.
http://www.petsupplyhouse.com

Looking up information on tea tree oil might also give you some alternate ideas.

I don't feed my dog a BARF diet, but he does eat a holistic human-grade dry dog food by the name of Wellness as well as fresh fruits, lightly cooked vegetables, fermented vegetables (got the idea from an article in Whole Dog Journal), cooked meat and fish, cheese, nuts, eggs (scrambled please), yoghurt with live bacterial cultures, and a powdered green supplement.

Hopefully, this also makes a difference. It has to be better than the Science Diet most vets push.

Thanks...I'll look into it.

It has to be better than the Science Diet most vets push. Yep, I'd have to agree!

I feed both my GSD and Akita Science Diet. Please enlighten me of the problems, any of you have experienced feeding this dog food.

At present I'm having trouble with the GSD's Blood platelet count, other then that the vet gives them a clean bill of health. The low platelet count has me concerned.
Thanks,

Butch, having worked for a vet that fed SD in the kennel I'd have to say that the problem is that it's a good food instead of a great one. It's better than OlRoy, but there are also foods out there that dogs do better on. I personally prefer a food without byproducts or preservatives or "mystery meat" (animal digest could be road kill for all I know). You can usually get these foods for the same price or less than Science Diet. I rotate through kibbles, including Nutro, Premium Edge, and anything else quality that I can get my hands on. A roadtrip inevitably means a stop by a new petstore and a new kibble in the dish; my all time favorite kibble ever (Blackwood) is manufactured in the same state as I used to live in, and I've only seen it in one feed store that I stop at everytime I am in the area (3 hours away). The way I find new kibble is to call the area feed stores and ask them what the best food they carry is. Then I find out more info on the food on the internet and try a bag if it looks promising.

Try buying two bags of another kibble. If you don't like it SD will still be there, and you'll know that your dogs are better suited to SD than one other choice.

Butch,
Read the book "Food pets die for: shocking facts about pet food / by Ann N. Martin and Michael W. Fox" and then analyze the quality of ingredients in Science Diet.

You'll see why if you have to feed kibble, picking ones with human grade ingredients and whole meats, not by-products is the way to go. Also kibbles without soy products are better. The first 4 ingredients in a dog kibble are always the most important. They should indicate the quality and sources of protein.

Also the book "The consumers guide to dog food / by Liz Palika" is interesting.

Good Dog Magazine is excellent for testing all kinds of dog products, including dog food. They sell a guide that lists and analyzes all ingredients in various foods. I believe the edition I have lists 72 brands. Here is the web site.
http://www.gooddogmagazine.com