Like vaccinations responsible dog owners are now considering whether the use of routine worming is necessary. A lot of people are choosing to get regular "Worm Counts" done rather than put unnecessary chemicals into the dogs. For sure I will not put "spot ons" on these dogs once a months as preventative for worms or fleas. As regards to fleas I choose instead to spray the house a couple of times of year, so far it's working. The thought of putting chemicals on my dogs once a month, just incase, does not sit well with me. Of course should they get fleas then that is a different matter but I would only then use a high quality spot on like advocate and stronghold and would never put my dogs at risk with a supermarket product which have been show in some cases to be toxic.
Because I have cats I do need to worm all my animals. The cats kill and pick up round worm and tape worm, that then puts all the animals at risk of getting worms. Again I will not use precautionary medication, but I do worm them at least twice a year. So this morning we are almost a £100 lighter in the bank and I have panacur for the dogs and drontal for the cats. Luckily both are available without prescription in the local farmer's market, and are a damn site cheaper than they would be at the vets.
There's a lot of cheap and nasty wormers available in pet shops and supermarkets, for the safety of my animals I'd sooner pay a little more an use a reputable brand. As it is I hate the idea of doing it, but it is a necessary evil. The tablets for the cats are easy, though Oliver will no doubt throw his toys out of the pram. I choose to use liquid for the dogs and mix that into their food, adding pilchards in tomato sauce to try and make it more palatable. Of course if I didn't have so many to do I would probably use Drontal tablets for the dogs too, it would be so much easier .. but with so many we have to watch the pennies. Seriously though I shouldn't complain, wormers for 8 dogs and 5 adult cats for just under £100 .. that's an average of about £7.50 per animal twice a year.
Loki has chewed the end off his gundog dummy. At the end of a walk he's been bringing it home with him in the crate in the van. I had heard he was chewing it so it was my own fault really. Anyway, what the guys want the guys get and a new one is on order!
