Do you give heartworm medicine?

Do you give heartworm medicine?

  • Yes

    Votes: 44 89.8%

  • No

    Votes: 5 10.2%
  • Total voters
    49
Whenever my vet gets pushy about something I use the "I have to discuss it with my husband before making any decisions line". I don't he has opinions but leaves final word to me, but it ends the talk before I end up storming out.
 
Admitedly, it has been some time since I've had many dealings with a vet, but the whole "intimidation by vet/staff" thing sounds foreign to me. With ANY service provider, I start with my "You ADVISE - I PAY - I DECIDE" speech. That tends to limit any "intimidation by vet".
 
JLSOhio51 said:
Admitedly, it has been some time since I've had many dealings with a vet, but the whole "intimidation by vet/staff" thing sounds foreign to me. With ANY service provider, I start with my "You ADVISE - I PAY - I DECIDE" speech. That tends to limit any "intimidation by vet".
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That's my philosophy too Jeff, but I still get the food lecture...apparently Medical is the only food that is fully tested all the way up the production line, and never has had a recall. The implication being that feeding something else is taking an unnecessary risk. Of course when Hanna put on that extra 1.7 pounds (off now), I got the "well it's hard to advise since we don't deal with that food". All I wanted was a daily calorie recommendation as I'm perfectly capable of doing the math and measuring. GRRR
 
I left a really good vet because she presented a bill each time for all this extra stuff from dental treats to special foods to special toys (?) to flea&tick med, to etc. etc. You had to initial to deny each item and then she reran the bill.

Great vet, economy decimated her as she was a single vet practice in an upscale part of town. I think it drove her crazy.

New vet is great, they casually ask if you need (insert a couple items) and when you say NOPE they are fine with that. It's OK to ask, not OK to argue that you are harming your dog by not giving those items.
 
EJHUNTL said:
Of course when Hanna put on that extra 1.7 pounds (off now), I got the "well it's hard to advise since we don't deal with that food".
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Now that's completely beyond the pale. A vet should be able to give general advice on any kind of food.
 
EJHUNTL said:
That's my philosophy too Jeff, but I still get the food lecture...apparently Medical is the only food that is fully tested all the way up the production line, and never has had a recall. The implication being that feeding something else is taking an unnecessary risk...
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I get what you are saying here! I am OK with hearing (even if it's every visit), "Your dog needs to lose weight" or "You're not caring for his wound correctly", (If true). He/she is the doc from the big doggie doc school and I want their advice - it's what I'm paying the big bucks for. BUT when their input feels like a lecture - "adios, farewell and ta ta for now". My mama and daddy have both passed away, which means that the list of folks I will take a stern lecture from is VERY small (and does NOT inclue some dude I'm PAYING for advice from).
 
melbell said:
or if I can skip winter months then restart it but you have to get tested then don't you?
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I live in the "snow belt" (Minnesota). I didn't give anti-heartworm meds in the winter, and my boy was retested every spring, before resuming meds.
 
I'm in Indiana and while we get a lot of snow, we also get some warmer times during the winter.

Max came to us with heartworms. I don't ever want anyone to have to go through that again. So everyone here gets heartworms meds all year round.
 
Cookie gets Iverhart Max every five weeks from mid March through the end of October. We live in South Carolina.

Also, I refuse to take BS like that from vets or techs. I used to work at a vet's office and I absolutely detested listening to techs tell clients they NEEDED to get their distemper EVERY year and rabies EVERY year and bordetella, lyme disease, coronavirus, all this other stuff every single year. I knew that wasn't necessary and most clients just went oh…well…I didn't…well…ok. And took it.

When a vet tries to give me the runaround on something, I know I can't say I have credentials but I am a long time dog owner with an education and a heavy interest in dog health and science, and I am the one paying for the service/advisement, so I will not be pushed around. I make that clear. I try to be as nice and personable as I can possibly be but if they start being ridiculous I have a hard time handling that. If my vet told me he couldn't advise on any food but one food, Science Diet or whatever, I would get up and leave. What a load of crap.
 
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