[askal]

Do you give your dogs Heartguard and Frontline every month? Are they really necessary? How about vitamins? Which brand?

[goldiesmom]

Yes, my dogs get the equivalent of Heartguard and do get Frontline every month. We live in the far South and every month has days warm enough for mosquitos and fleas. If I lived in the Northern states where it gets below freezing for weeks at a time I would probably not use them November through February. Still, it's easier to remember if used every month. And, no, I don't use vitamins. Any dog who is getting a quality food should not need vitamin supplementation.

[justinm]

yes, and its important to keep using frontline consistently if you want to have continuous coverage. I stopped using it for a few months and sure enough the fleas were back.

[vetgroomer]

If you live in an area where heartworms and fleas are even remotely possible, yes, they're necessary. Maybe not necessarily Heartguard and Frontline, but some form of heartworm and flea control.

Heartworms are deadly, and the treatment can be painful and expensive. A few dog's don't survive treatment.

Fleas will make your dog miserable. And they can also give your dog tapeworms.

I do use Heartguard every month. I don't use Frontline, I use Comfortis, which is a once a month pill. And it works VERY well.