I have always given my boys Heartgard year round. Our region is high risk for heartworm.
Like Brittany, I'm not crazy about any of the flea and tick preventatives...but, tick disease scares me, and Teddy is highly allergic to fleas. He reacts badly to the preventatives though. Can't win!
Max and Teddy would like to shame me because I go to work 5 days a week and leave them all alone! Boyfriend spends lunchtime with them but they are not as spoiled as they used to be.
