Worms, Fleas, & Illness

Have your vet perform a fecal (worm) check once or twice a year. Have a heartworm check and a physical performed each April or May. Remember to give the Heartworm pills each month for the number of months your vet recommends. Our personal preferance is the Interceptor brand

When battling fleas always use the minimum chemicals possible. It IS possible to be flea free with few or no chemicals. Our animals have been flea free since 1990! Our personal routine is:

• Once warm weather arrives we clean out all dog houses and spray them with X-Otrol household spray or Eqyss Summer Defense, let them completely dry and then re-fill with pine shavings.


• Our house is treated once a year with Flea Busters powder (not a chemical)


• Crates are cleaned monthly


• Rooms are well vacuumed weekly (remember to seal and throw out vacuum bags as fleas can reproduce in there!)


• Dogs are bathed monthly with a high sudsing oatmeal shampoo and combed while in the tub


• During warm weather all dogs get 1/2 clove of garlic once a day or 1 garlic capsule once a day

IF HOWEVER, you live in a climate that is warmer then N.H. USA and this regime does not work well for you than a compromise would be to do ALL of the above PLUS apply Advantage topical once a month (In HIGH tick areas use Frontline topical instead as it kills ticks also). BE AWARE that you are applying a chemical to your dog's skin and that brings risks of it's own. These chemicals remain in your dog's hair follicles and oil glands for at least a month (based upon our boarding kennel customer's experiences I do not recommend any other brand of chemical topical flea treatment- but that is my own personal opinion, given that I won't use them on our pets at all) There are non chemical flea sprays (Buddy Splash flea formula is one) but they need to be applied every day to work and they do not work in high flea areas. The Eqyss Summer defense works moderately well for ticks as does Tick Guard I personally am not at all comfortable with the flea steriization pills (Program and Sentinal) as they are are placing flea sterilizaton chemicals into your dog's body (again just my own personal opinion) REMEMBER, the fewer chemicals in or on your dog's body the healthier he will be! Sources for non chemical flea products are:Flea Busters powder for houses, rxforfleas@aol.com, 800-666-3532. Morrill's New Directions (Pure Comfort Erigerion shampoo and other great products) P.O.Box 30, Orient, Me 04471 , 800-368-5057 morrills@morrills.com, as well as the two companies whose products are listed above.

Common signs of illness are: lack of appetite; constipation; diarrhea; vomiting; constant discharge from the eyes, nose, penis or vulva; depression; any swellings or lumps; excessive hair loss; foul smelling ears or mouth; lameness; excessive thirst; or inability to urinate. If your dog has diarrhea or vomits more than once in a day: do not feed him for 24 hours. After 24 hours you may give him some boiled rice, boiled chicken and canned pumpkin. Do not allow him to drink excessively but do not restrict this too much. CALL your vet about the POSSIBILITY (and dosage) of giving Pepto Bismol or Immodium in severe cases. IF your dog is not improving after 48 hours or if the diarrhea/vomiting is accompanied by depression, lethargy, blood or loss of appetite get him to the vet AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Some young bitches may get vaginitis or urinary tract infections. Symptoms may include a vaginal discharge, repeated licking, frequent urination or a sudden loss of house breaking. See your vet for a urinalysis or a vaginal smear for diagnosis. Some Rottweilers occasionally burp up food or other things they have eaten. Sometimes just keeping them quiet 1/2 hour before and after eating helps. If this is a daily occurrence please see your vet for evaluation.