Maltipoo Flea, Tick, and Heartworm Protection

A Maltipoo needs to be protected from ticks since these little creatures can transmit dangerous diseases. 

Some of the diseases that they carry are anaplasmosis (this sickness lasts up to 7 days with fever, joint pain and other symptoms), babesiosis (symptoms can be mild to very severe including compromised immune system and anemia), ehrlichiosis (has 3 stages; if it reaches the 3rd stage it can be fatal with low blood cell counts, neurological disorders, and kidney disease), and Lyme disease (can cause fever, lethargy, lameness, and swollen lymph nodes). 

Ticks are most active in the summer and fall; however, many ticks can come out of hibernation in the winter, all it takes is a day that is above freezing. 

Mosquitoes are the only transmitter of heartworm larvae. Once in a dog’s body, the larvae grow into adult worms that invade the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels. A full-blown infection can consist of hundreds of heartworms that clog vital organs. 

Attempted treatment for an infestation of adult worms is with very powerful drugs and/or surgery; although, those options have their own risks as well. 

With heartworms, there can be no symptoms at all for months or even years. Signs that include coughing and lethargy often only appear once it is in the severe stage. It should be noted that heartworm protection medication won’t stop the transmission of the larvae; it works by killing the larvae before it can develop into full-grown adult worms. 

Mosquitoes can also transmit West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis (a disease first seen in horses but now also seen in canines). 

It’s rather easy for a dog to catch fleas if a preventative method is not used; they can jump from animal to animal and can live up to 4 days off of a host (just waiting for your Maltipoo to walk by and be the new host). 

A flea infection alone can cause severe itching; but, a common additional issue is flea bite dermatitis, which is an allergy to flea saliva. This can lead to very intense itching. Due to severe chewing and scratching, skin can break open leaving it vulnerable to infections. 

It’s much easier to prevent fleas than to treat for them. This is because if a dog has fleas, there is a very high chance that the entire house is infested. They can burrow very deep into carpeting, furniture, bedding, and other items in the house. All pets and the house – top to bottom - will need to be treated.  

One important thing to know about worms is that lots of puppies are born with at least one type, roundworms. This is because dams that are being given worm protection medication still have dormant larvae in their bodies and this is transferred to the pups during pregnancy or right after birth, at which time the worms awaken and become active.

Another vital aspect is that without a good parasitic prevention medication, a Maltipoo of any age can catch roundworms, as well as whipworms, pinworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. The most common way that this happens is via contaminated soil, grass, or water. 

Symptoms of a Maltipoo having worms varies by the type; however, common signs include changes in appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, intestinal issues, and lethargy.

To summarize: Now that we’ve covered these insects and parasites, it’s clear that a Maltipoo should be protected from them. However, this leaves the issue of how to do this in the safest way possible. And, this is what we’ll cover next. 

First, let’s go over a couple of frequently asked questions. 

As covered, heartworms can only be transmitted one way: via a bite from a mosquito that is carrying heartworm larvae. 

So, you may be wondering if a dog needs protection during the wintertime when mosquitoes are hibernating. 

The answer is, it depends.

The reason why some vets will say ‘yes’ is because while there are many areas where mosquitoes are not active year-round (high risk of exposure can range anywhere from 3 to 12 months), it’s nearly impossible to know the exact day that the last mosquito will enter into hibernation. 

And, just as important, it’s not possible to know the day that the first one awakens; you can be sure that the first one you see is not the first one that woke up. In addition, even in cold areas, any break in the weather can cause misquotes to awaken briefly. 

Another aspect to consider is that your Maltipoo’s heartworm prevention will also simultaneously prevent other parasitic worms (hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms) and some also work to prevent fleas and/or ticks. And this is something that may need to be in effect year-round. 

The reason that some vets will say ‘no’ is because technically, if you live in an area that stays very cold in the winter with nearly zero chance of mosquitoes awakening (and risk of other parasitic worms, fleas, and ticks are low) you can stop the medication for one or more months. 

So, you will want to speak to your Maltipoo’s vet about this and discuss if stopping just during the cold winter months is a good idea. 

There is a slew of homeopathic methods that claim to work well. These include those based on black walnuts (a substance that is toxic to dogs), herbal blends (including coconut oil, ginger, and/or turmeric), raw goat milk, diatomaceous earth, and even beer. 

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that some of these work (dog owners reporting that their dogs have tested negative for heartworms). However, there are no scientific studies proving their efficacy and some of the methods can be quite risky. 

There are two main risks when giving heartworm prevention medication to your Maltipoo:

1. Risk of adverse reaction. This is the body’s response to the drug/s. This can come on quickly (acute) or develop over a period of time. Signs include but are not limited to: 

2. Milbemycin oxime and lufenuron. This combination has over 14 pages of reported reactions. With milbemycin oxime by itself, death is ranked at #13. One of the products with both drugs is Sentinel, and Interceptor contains milbemycin oxime.

 

3. Spinosad and milbemycin. There is 17 pages of possible adverse reactions to this heartworm prevention with this drug combo being responsible for 200+ deaths. This is found in Trifexis. 

4. Selamectin. This particular heartworm prevention has been found to be ineffective in over 6000 cases. And, there are 236 reported deaths. Revolution is one of the brands that contains selamectin. 

5. Injectables. The idea behind injectables is that instead of having to remember to give medicine to a dog every month, a shot is given twice per year. But a huge problem with this is that if your Maltipoo has an adverse reaction it is difficult to flush out of the system. With ProHeart6, there has been close to 500 reported deaths. 

This is because this particular parasite has an amazing way of ensuring its survival. If a dog has roundworms at any point in its life, a certain number of them enter a dormant state. De-worming meds do not affect these. When a female becomes pregnant, this larva awakens and passes to the puppies either while they are still in the womb or after they are born while nursing. 

For this reason, puppies are dewormed at a very young age, with the veterinarian being in charge of this. The first round is at 2 weeks of age and then at 4, 6, and 8 weeks old. So, most pups that are new to a home have already been de-wormed. 

One last dewormer may also be given at the 6-month mark. 

For dogs of any age: Roundworms, as well as hookworms and whipworms can easily be transmitted to dogs by several means: Coming into contact with contaminated soil, water, or grass or by ingesting the feces of wild animals or of other dogs. 

Once that initial puppy de-worming is done, it will be time to ensure that you are protecting your Maltipoo. One of the most common questions that owners have is what deworming product is best. However, in many cases, there is no need to obtain one; most heartworm medications also work for these worms as well. For example, Advantage Multi also works to prevent whipworms, hookworms, and roundworms. 

But, the biggest challenge is finding a product that is all natural since chemicals like deet and pyrethroids found in many applications and sprays can cause a wide range of allergic reactions including brain damage, heart attacks and seizures. There were 1600 pet deaths linked to pyrethroids over a 5-year time frame. 

Fortunately, there are some fantastic options that have zero chemicals but work surprising well.