Heartworm & Flea Contol In Winter? (veterinarian, treatment, fleas, outside)

[merclo]

I live in northern Indiana where it gets very cold in winter. My dog's veterinarian keeps pushing me to give my dog heartworm protection and flea/tick protection year round.

During cold weather I just leash our doggie up for quick potty trips out to our suburban back yard (during more mild weather we take 3 or 4 long leashed walks through the neighborhood)

I'm not convinced that the dog needs heartworm and flea protection during the winter because I don't think those parasites can live in the cold and the dog doesn't spend more than a few minutes outside each day. (In case you're wondering, we exercise indoors by chasing through the house and playing hide and seek!)

What do you think. Continue to administer those meds year round or, discontinue them when temps are consistently below freezing. I don't want him getting any more chemicals in him than is absolutely necessary.

Thank you to everyone for their insight, experiences and suggestions

[cheesenugget]

I live in FL so year round fleas/ticks preventatives are a must. I don't know how winter affects those parasites. However, for heartworm, I wouldn't when it reaches below a certain temperature. Heartworm preventatives are not really preventing heartworm from entering but a pesticide that kills the worms presently in the body from the last transmission. Read more about it here:

Are drug companies honest about Heartworm?

Of course, you take that risk with your dogs if you stopped on the heartworm. For me, the dogs get a dose every other month year round, and never on the same day as the flea preventative. So far, so good.

[AnotherTouchOfWhimsy]

I also live in Florida and do heartworm and flea preventative (not on the same day) monthly year-round. Treatment for heartworm is very expensive and hard on the dog, so I'd probably continue doing at least that all year long, even if it got cold here.

[Lucky Lady123]

I give my dog Heartguard monthly and the flea and tick Prevenative .. April through August only. The only time she goes out is for our walks in the neighborhood and she doesn't play or stand in grass for long or go in any wooded areas so I can't see giving her the flea/tick Prevenative every month. She has never had fleas or ticks so all is good.

[PullMyFinger]

They are even pushing this in Minnesota. I will give them their last HW pills in the middle of Oct and then not again until April 1st.