heartworm prevention when?

[jackdee]

when do you start heartworm prevention .&...flea and tick in 11 week old pup? what do you all feel is the best way to go? I hate putting chemicals on them, but they must be protected.

[trackermom]

I would discuss with your vet as to when he/she feels the pup needs to be started on HW preventative, and then I would ask about the heart safe dosage ( it would be less then the prescribed dosage per weight) instead of placing chemicals you could check out the preventic collar and ask your vet if it would be acceptable for a pup his age.

[targonrotts]

heartworm prevention is generally started at 8 weeks of age. especially in states like florida, where we live.
heartworms are passed by mosquitoes and now it is recommended that dogs should be kept on it year round for full protection.
i personally use heartgard plus chewables. for puppies, i use the appropriate chewable depending on weight. they come in blue-up to 25 lbs, green 26-50 lbs and brown 51-100 lbs. dogs that are heavier need an extra chewy depening on size.
preventic collars should not be used under 3 mos of age.make sure extra collar material is trimmed off to avoid chewing on it.
frontline plus is safe to use from 8 weeks on up.
if you are flea and tick free, you can probably get away by using it every other month.
talk to your vet for more info on the subject.
at very least, heartworm prevention should be done and kept for life.

[trackermom]

Vets protocalls for starting HW and flea and tick prevention vary greatly from state to state and region to region. Check in with your vet and see what they reccomend.

[hokisteph5]

Here in VA, my vet recommends HW preventative be used year round and started when pups are 8 weeks old. Like targonrotts, I use the Heartgard Plus chewables and my dogs love them. They think they're a treat. I also use Frontline Plus, but not year round.

Like others have recommended, though, I'd check with your vet to see their recommendation since states/vets vary...