Kick Heartworm, Fleas, and Ticks To The Curb This Month

Let’s kick heartworm, fleas, and ticks to the curb this month. April is Heartworm Awareness Month, but fleas and ticks are pretty much joined at the hip to heartworm. It’s not hard to prevent these things from making your dog ill. Sadly, many pup parents don’t seem to take the necessary steps with over a million pets having heartworm in the USA alone.

Heartworm comes from mosquitos. No one likes those rotten little buggers that sting you in the warm months of the year. They carry lots of diseases, one being heartworm. It used to be in Minnesota that we only took precautions part of the year, but now we take our heartworm pills every month. Weather is warmer making it harder to judge mosquito season, and since we travel, it is safer to be protected all the time.

Every March we all go in for a blood test and to get the medication for the next year. Once again we are happy to say we all tested negative for heartworm, fleas, and ticks. By taking one pill a month, your dog will be protected against heartworm. Make sure and get your pup tested and stock up on her heartworm pill supply.

We are almost more concerned about ticks. Ticks are everywhere, and even come out in the winter. At our house, we protect against ticks year round too. You can use a topical method or a pill once a month. Because Bailie had a very bad reaction to Bravecto years ago, Mom only uses the topicals on us. Most tick preventatives also cover fleas which is nice.

“Now that we dogs are covered, how’s Mom doing, Bailie?” Thanks, Nelson, as you know, Mom is doing really well and, no surprise, is not exactly following the doctor’s orders. We tried to get a selfie, but it is really rough with the left hand and the sling!

Mom had her first post surgery appointment last week and it went really well. In a few more days it will be four weeks since surgery and she won’t have to wear the sling all the time. She wears it most of the time now, but she is also using her arm a lot. According to Mom, if it doesn’t hurt, why not. Oddly, this whole thing has been basically painless. No one is complaining, but Mom finds it odd.

For those of you who are into stainless steel hardware, this is the x-ray from last Thursday at her first post op appointment. It is not at all what Mom was expecting and it kind of freaked her out. It all looks good and that is the main thing. She has one more appointment with her surgeon in about three weeks and then life should be able to start getting back to normal again. “Nelson, get the car tuned up and ready for road trips once again! I’ll stay home and watch the house.”

We are thankful for a clean bill of health at our vet check up two weeks ago, and that Mom’s collarbone is healing so well. Even with some speed bumps, life is good.

We’re joining Brian’s Home Blog in the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!