October 14th, 2010 by Jenny

So I just bought a new dog and am terribly happy. He’s an absolutely adorable Scottie named Zeus. Of course, before buying Zeus I looked up all of the relevant state pet laws. It was no shock that certain vaccinations are legally required here. It makes sense–rabies can easily infect the human body, and it’s only acting as a good community member and neighbor to have your dog vaccinated. But after I wrote down the list of requirements I had to take care of for my new pet, I did some research on some other dog care basics, including what other dog meds I’d have to get Zeus.

I truly hate the idea of giving my dog medicine. I try to live a very natural lifestyle myself. I never take medicine unless it’s really an absolute emergency. I don’t even keep Tylenol or cold medicine in the house. We’ve been around on the Earth for a long time without needing much medicine. And frankly, it seems like most people overmedicate themselves, taking eight Advil or running to the emergency room every time they have the least headache. So now that I own a dog, I’m shy of having a different set of rules for my puppy than I have for myself. It’s only recently and only in extremely developed/wealthy nations that dog prescriptions have come into vogue. Canines have lived healthy, happy lives on their own for centuries. So why all of a sudden does a huge fraction of a pet owner’s money have to go to prescriptions for their dog?

I had no problem with getting my new puppy his vaccinations. They are obviously necessary on both a medical and cultural level. I’m not a religious zealot or anything. If my appendix goes bad or I have a super high fever, I’ll go to the hospital and take all the help I need. But giving my dog regular prescription medications from day one, with no sign of an issue seems going beyond this. The two medications that I know everyone recommends are some type of heartworm medication, like this one, and Frontline Plus or another flea medicine. So far it looks like pretty much everyone and their mother says you should get heartworm medication, since the disease is so widespread and deadly. Fleas, on the other hand, don’t seem to be as much of a scourge. I’m continuing to look into the situation, but that’s what I’m thinking so far.