Hey Clare, what a great discussion you've started here, thank you. We will all learn so much from how everyone copes with pests and bugs and viruses! And I have no idea what lungworm is but it sounds nasty! I'll have to look that up.

Back when we had Jerry, we unquestioningly followed whatever guidelines were in place for parasite and virus management. We vaccinated him when we were told, we doused him with spot-on flea treatments, until he lost his leg to cancer. That was the eye-opener, and the point at which we started questioning everything. During his last two years we avoided vaccinations and conventional parasite prevention medications, and he didn't suffer because of it.

When crazy Wyatt Ray came along, I vowed to do things differently from the get-go.

For the first six or seven of his life I never used any kind of spot-on flea and tick treatments. Instead I reached for any natural pest preventive I could find, like cedar oil, eucalyptus, etc. I was convinced that feeding him the healthiest diet possible would repel any critters that tried to attach themselves to his body.

During this time I followed conventional vaccination protocols (every 3 years), but skip the 'extras' like Bortadella (since he doesn't board) as well as Lepto. He does swim in mountain lakes and rivers, but I have not given it to him. So far so good, but vets tell me I'm taking a huge risk. 

When it came to heartworm preventive, I struggled with that, but eventually gave in and put him on conventional medication (Heartguard). We are frequently in heartworm hot zones, and I would hate for him to suffer because of my refusal to use the treatment.  And when I saw the data about how heartworm is now almost everywhere in the U.S. because of the frequency in which pets now travel, it just made sense.

Getting back to fleas and ticks . . . in 2016, the ticks were horrendous during a summer we spent in Colorado high country, a place where they didn't used to be so bad. Natural methods did not keep them off him. So for the first time, I caved and bought the chemicals. I also feared that Jim and I would contract a disease when he brought them home. I put Wyatt on "Revolution", a 3-in-1 treatment that includes heartworm preventive. However, I do give him a break from the chemicals during winter, and only keep him on Heartguard. In April, I'll switch him back to the 3-in-1.

Each time I give him a preventive, I apologize to him! I can't help but feel awful about giving him something I wouldn't give myself, but climate change has altered the migration patterns of pests and viruses for good. I wrote this blog post about climate change, fleas and ticks as a way to cope with my guilt.

Meanwhile, this year Wyatt is 10. It's time for his annual rabies vaccine. And I am not going to do it, but rather titer him when we go to Colorado State for his annual exam in May. I've heard too many reports of senior dogs being adversely affected by the rabies vaccine. I'm not looking forward to having to prove that titers are just as good to any officials we encounter (like when Wyatt does vet shows with us), but I'm willing to deal with it for the sake of keeping my healthy old boy healthy.

When it comes to preventives, so much has changed over the last ten years. It's a never ending struggle of trying to balance what I feel in my gut is healthy and safe for my dog, versus unquestioningly following the advice of veterinarians. It almost feels like playing Russian Roulette at times!