Just curious who else is living super frugal

[Tikkijane]

One vet I spoke to said that heart worm was not much of an issue for cats.  I do think that some vet practices use the immunization schedules to their advantage to get the animals in for the yearly immunizations to pad the profit margins.  For instance:  giving the yearly rabies vaccine when there's a 3 year one available, and giving the whole litany of vaccines to the cat who never goes out.

I agree. We can get the 3 year for dogs if they gad the one year peior. But cats. Ugh. They need and annual, and if they are not utd on that, then no flea meds.

 

[Tikkijane]

I've never medicated for heartworm in my dogs, nor do we do rabies shots unless they've been vetted for something else and they require it.  My dogs live to a ripe old, old age and never show affects of heart worm, if they have it at all which I strongly doubt or they wouldn't live so healthy and for so long.  Back in the day we had never even heard of such things and, IMO, it's a money maker, pure and simple.  Dogs live to their expected age out in the country, without such nonsense. 

We never used to, either, until the dachshund that got dumped out her was dxed. We took him in finally - knew he had breathing issues, but he started hacking stuff out and you could tell he was really, really sick. {And later that night, he started coughing up blood, so that was an ER vest visit. }

His worm load was so bad, his heart was completely mishapen and enlarged to nearly 3x the normal size. And the treatment is a royal pain, preventing them from getting their heart rate up for 3 months so they don't dislodge a worm load and cause a hesrt attack. He is still not heartworm free, but we expect that yo finally result in a few months down the road.

So ya, now all the dogs get their monthly heartworm prevention.

 

[Tikkijane]

I was only going to get corid to have on hand if needed.  I have never used it, and also never given my chickens any meds other than wormers.  Our dog tested positive for hook worm last summer and the chickens also got it.  It was very visible in their poo.  Other than that I do believe that if you chose to medicate, you are weakening your flock.  Therefore I don't generally medicate them.  It was just as a precautionary measure in case my rooster did show further signs of coccidiosis.  I would rather be proactive than reactive and lose my whole flock .

Me too. I don't use medicated starter, either, mostly because I ferment {which is WAAAAAY frugal!}, but i have a packet on hand just in case. Come to think of it, I should prolly check and see if it has an expiration date....

 

[OnlyOrps]

I've had intact dogs my entire life. Never had an oops litter. My intact dogs were always easier to train and handle than the spayed and neutered rescued I took in to foster. I trained for other people as well. Every neurotic mess I've encountered has been altered. I have been told by reputable sources such as veterinarians that testosterone and estrogen aid in the calming process and so altered dogs are often times more hyper and irrational. I always laugh when people alter a dog to calm it down or fix aggression issues. I've had up to 7 in tact males from 7 pound little breeds to 207 pound giant breeds and never an aggression issue. They aren't neutered in wild dog packs so why can't we expect our domestic packs to live in harmony? It's easy to know your dog's behavior and breeding schedule, separate while in heat and control litters so you aren't over breeding. I'm so glad I have a vet who supports responsible breeding and ownership and doesn't peddle those spay and neuter myths.

 

[gevshiba]

I recently read an article that has concerns about the growth of the bones in dogs that have their testes removed early in life. As in some bone issues result. I have had my own personal issues of lack of testosterone, yes I am a girl, but I have or rather had testosterone too, and now without it I am much weaker physically and more prone to ligament injuries. I look at my aged gelding and wonder if he would be stronger now if he had not been cut. And now I think of the fixed dogs too, girls and the boys.

I am on the wait list for a puppy, and already talked with the breeder about NOT getting her fixed. Yesterday, my son asked me if I was getting a girl or a boy. I said a girl, and started to smile. My DH glanced at me as my son blurted out-- so she can have puppies??? LOL Kids. Maybe someday. My rottie girl was never fixed and lived to a ripe old age of 11 ( both parents were gone of cancer by age 6).

I'm for controlling the pet population for sure-- but I use fences and crates instead of the knife.

Dogs, and every other animal, need their hormones to grow properly. Since I compete with my dogs, I don't want to deal with BIS or intact boys. But I don't s/n until after they are a year old. Older if it's a large breed. You want the growth plates closed before s/n. Aside from a higher risk of ACL and other ligament tears, dogs tend to grow taller and stay very narrow, including through the head.

Vaccinations. A lot of people think vaccines are mandatory in dogs/cats. The only thing that is required by law is rabies. Vets like to guilt people into vaccinating. They tell you how prevalent a disease is, like Lepto. Ask how many cases they've treated in the past year. The vaccine is only good for a couple strains. Yes, Lepto is deadly, but the vaccine can cause the disease too. It really should be decided on a case by case basis. Corona is a virus young puppies get. Why are we vaccinating for it every year in adult, s/n dogs? Kennel cough (Bordetella), the vaccine causes a mild case of the disease. The dogs will shed it. It only gets a few strains. It's rarely deadly. I'm no vet, but I give 3 sets of puppy shots, minus corona after the first set and leave Lepto out altogether, then my dogs get rabies as required by the law. I educate myself on vaccines so when the vets (or more often, techs) try to guilt me, I can discuss it with them. If I were to give vaccines more often, my vet says every 3-5 years is plenty. But he also doesn't question me about vaccinations. Google Dr Dodds vaccine recommendations. You can read about the rabies challenge on her site, too.

Heart worm prevention is pretty serious here. Most rescue dogs that haven't been on HWP are positive for them. It's an ugly death and an expensive, dangerous treatment. You are really lucky if you don't have problems in your area. That said, if you read the insert (not the back of the box) that comes with the HWP, most will tell you it can be given every 6 weeks. I write it out on the calendar so I don't forget. We don't have hard winters here, but I can still skip a couple. three months in the winter if there's no mosquitos.

I hope these tips help. One more is to ask your vet if they price match. My vet will price match or write me a prescription to save me money. Some won't, but it's really in their best interest to do it. It keeps me coming back and not searching for better prices. I have a certain company I use for price matching HWP, flea meds and prescription drugs. It saves me a lot of money.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Interesting education I am getting here.... i have had dogs 59 years... all my life... still learn something new every day... same goes for horses.

I live in a low heart worm area... but I certainly would be using those meds if I were. Very dry here very few mosquitos... Matter of fact I havent had a mosquito bite in about 25 years now.

And a strange occurance once I moved up to the high desert I havent seen a flea on my dogs or cats. And San Diego is known to be one of the flea capitals of the world.

No dogs and cats now. This will be my first year in a very long time without a dog. Cant get one again till I move home.

deb

 

[gevshiba]

Interesting education I am getting here.... i have had dogs 59 years... all my life... still learn something new every day... same goes for horses.

I live in a low heart worm area... but I certainly would be using those meds if I were. Very dry here very few mosquitos... Matter of fact I havent had a mosquito bite in about 25 years now.

And a strange occurance once I moved up to the high desert I havent seen a flea on my dogs or cats. And San Diego is known to be one of the flea capitals of the world.

No dogs and cats now. This will be my first year in a very long time without a dog. Cant get one again till I move home.

deb

Oh, you reminded me. Using Ivermectin for HWP. It's given orally, not injected.

Also, You can buy HWP from Australia without a prescription. I keep meaning to look into that. I have friends that do it. It's more cost effective if you buy a lot, so find some friends for a group buy.

 

[OnlyOrps]

  Oh, you reminded me.  Using Ivermectin for HWP.  It's given orally, not injected.

Also, You can buy HWP from Australia without a prescription.  I keep meaning to look into that.  I have friends that do it.  It's more cost effective if you buy a lot, so find some friends for a group buy.

I am new to HWP. I moved here from a very cold climate and never had to worry about heart worm. Do you give the ivermectin paste like horses get or the liquid injectable for cattle? how much per pound? Right now our dogs are on expensive pills from the vet...

 

[gevshiba]

I am new to HWP. I moved here from a very cold climate and never had to worry about heart worm. Do you give the ivermectin paste like horses get or the liquid injectable for cattle? how much per pound? Right now our dogs are on expensive pills from the vet...

Never give the paste! I don't use invermectin. My first dog was allergic to it, so I use Sentinel. Some vets will help you with the dosage. Doesn't hurt to ask. You can Google it, but I'd still check with my vet or someone knowledgeable that you trust.. Sometimes it will tell you to mix it with something else (can't remember what). Some do and some don't. A warning about Ivermectin and Collies. Some Collies are sensitive to it and it can cause death in some cases. Collies might include Rough and Smooth Collie, Border Collies, Shelties, maybe Aussies, North American Shepherds and Collie mixes. Possible others. I believe there's a test for it. But I don't have Collies, so I can't remember. It's best to check with the vet about this. I'd also be careful with Sighthounds.

 

[OnlyOrps]

  Never give the paste!  I don't use invermectin.  My first dog was allergic to it, so I use Sentinel.  Some vets will help you with the dosage.  Doesn't hurt to ask.  You can Google it, but I'd still check with my vet or someone knowledgeable that you trust..  Sometimes it will tell you to mix it with something else (can't remember what).  Some do and some don't.  A warning about Ivermectin and Collies.  Some Collies are sensitive to it and it can cause death in some cases. Collies might include Rough and Smooth Collie, Border Collies, Shelties, maybe Aussies, North American Shepherds and Collie mixes.  Possible others.  I believe there's a test for it.  But I don't have Collies, so I can't remember.  It's best to check with the vet about this.  I'd also be careful with Sighthounds.   

I have a lab and great pyrenees. They have already been wormed with paste. The vet was supportive of me using it as the Pyr pup came to me with mange and needed drastic treatment. The rewards far out weigh the risk. I bred BCs for 7 yrs and wormed them with ivermectin paste. I knew the risks but everyone I bought my dogs from used the paste also. I have yet to have a dog react to any form of ivermectin and use it with great success. Just wormed the Pyr and lab with horse paste last week. So that's why I inquired which type to use. It's all effective and safe for the dogs I currently own.