Big Paws Only Dog Forums
Giant Schnauzers => Giant Schnauzer Discussions => : Annabelle August 16, 2006, 02:03:24 AM
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I'm getting mixed info on what age to start our pup on heartgaurd! she is 10.5 weeks now. our vet was saying 4 months??? when I take her outside SKEETERS are everywhere in the grass! she is on advantix...fle as/ticks/mosquitos...ya know. BUT, I am not sure it's working??? b/c she spins around and bites her tail and rear hips often.
one other question how many months do pups eat pup feed b/f going up to adult food...this isn't a problem...just curious? :)
thanks!!!
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Did the vet give you a reason to wait until 4 months? I know I started Kiah on heartgaurd earlier then that. I would look on the back of the package and it will tell you how old the dog has to be.
Now switching to adult dog food is a tricky question. I know that giant breed dogs like danes, newfies, saints shouldn't be feed puppy food cause they can grow to fast which is bad on their joints. For my pyr I switched at six months. I didn't worry about her growth cause she's hard to keep weight and was in the normal growth rate. I think it also depends on the dog and how they grow.
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I honestly don't remember when I started mine on heartworm meds. So I can't really help with that. But for the adult food switch, I think is basically whenever you really feel like it. For Cinder and Kaila the switch was made when Kaila turned a year old but Shiner has never been on puppy food. He has been eating the Natural Balance Ultra Premium dry and Merrick wet food with the girls since I got him and before that he was on Purina Lamb and Rice. I wish now that I had switched Kaila to adult food earlier because it might have avoided her having pano when she was a puppy.
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For large breed dogs, I was told to wait until 18 months old. For giant breed dogs, they said 2 years. That's what I've been going by. And the heartguard, I started at 3 months old I think. Not sure. Whatever it says on the package of Interceptor is when I started it! I agree that you should ask your vet why he advises you wait so long.
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HEARTGARD Plus is highly effective in preventing heartworm disease in dogs and puppies as young as 6 weeks old.
http://heartgard.us.merial.com/whyheartgard/why_heartgard.asp
Straight from the manufacturers website.
The mosquitos are really bad here this year also, I would want them on the preventative as soon as possible.
More info:
Ivermectin generally should be avoided in dogs less than 6 weeks of age.
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/ivermectin-ivomec-heartgard/page1.aspx
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Be cautious on heartguard...i know great danes anyways are sensitive to that... i was told to give interceptor after 6 months of age... you are putting a pesticde in the dog and they want the immune system to develop first. From what my vet said to me about Jaz