best recipe we've found and hate to say used more than once.... thanks 'kids'        mix hydrogen peroxide - baking soda about equal with enough to lather it up of dawn dish soap as very hydroscopic.   let set 5 to 10 minutes and rinse.   repeat if needed for a good 'spraying'  the worst skunk may leave a little residual smell but this will get most if not all.  happy trails..  err tails...

This is non negotiable. Mosquitoes can be out on warm days in February. Heart worms are very serious and as such need to be prevented from maturing.

While I normally disdain use of chemicals this one is too important and I know of no holistic or herbal substitute.

The mosquito plays an essential role in the heart worm life cycle. Adult female heart worms living in an infected dog, fox, coyote, or wolf produce microscopic baby worms called microfilaria that circulate in the bloodstream. When a mosquito bites and takes a blood meal from an infected animal, it picks up these baby worms, which develop and mature into “infective stage” larvae over a period of 10 to 14 days.

​Then, when the infected mosquito bites another dog, cat, or susceptible wild animal, the infective larvae are deposited onto the surface of the animal's skin and enter the new host through the mosquito’s bite wound. Once inside a new host, it takes approximately 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult heart worms. Once mature, heart worms can live for 5 to 7 years in dogs and up to 2 or 3 years in cats. Because of the longevity of these worms, each mosquito season can lead to an increasing number of worms in an infected pet.
​
Note that in as little as 51 days, immature heart worm larvae can molt into an adult stage, which can't be effectively eliminated by preventives.  it is  important that heart worm preventives be administered  in a timely manner every month.  mark your calendar - put a note on the refrigerator - however you need to be reminded just do it.

Bitches spayed at 7 weeks  had significantly delayed closure of growth plates as  compared to those spayed at 7 months, and those spayed at 7 months  had significantly delayed closure of growth plates as compared to those left intact.

In a study of 1444 Golden Retrievers, bitches and dogs spayed or neutered at less than a year of age  were significantly  taller than those spayed or neutered after a year of age.

In a study of 203 agility dogs,  the  tibia and radius and ulna were significantly  longer than the femur and humerus, respectively, in dogs that were spayed or neutered at or prior to 8 months   of age as compared to intact dogs.

Several studies have shown that spayed and neutered dogs have a significantly higher prevalence of  CCL  rupture  even when controlling for body size.

Dogs that were neutered at least  6 months prior to a diagnosis of hip dysplasia were 1.5 times more likely to develop hip dysplasia than
sexually intact dogs.

Spayed/neutered dogs had 3.1 times higher incidence of  patellar luxation.

Dogs that have been spayed or neutered  at or before puberty can often  be identified by their longer  limbs, lighter bone structure, narrower chests and narrower skulls than intact dogs of the same breed  This  differential growth frequently results in significant alterations in body proportions and particularly the lengths (and  therefore weights) of certain bones relative to others.

For example, if the femur has achieved its genetically  determined normal length at 8 months, prior to a dog being spayed or neutered, but the tibia ( which normally  stops growing at 12 to 14 months of age) continues to  elongate for several months after that point because of the  removal of the sex hormones, then  the relationship between the femur and tibia will be different than what was  genetically determined.

This may result in  an abnormal angle  at the stifle and a longer (and therefore heavier) tibia placing increased stress on the cranial cruciate ligament (of the knee or stifle joint).
​
It is well known that  spayed and neutered dogs  are more likely to be overweight or obese than sexually intact dogs, and this can be a contributing factor to  orthopedic diseases.

Spayed  females had more than 5 times greater risk than intact bitches of developing
cardiac hemangiosarcoma and neutered  males had  1.6 times higher risk than intact males had of developing  cardiac  hemangiosarcoma.

Spayed females had 2.2 times increased risk for developing  splenic  hemangiosarcoma
In a second study, spayed/neutered dogs  had  a 2.2 times higher  risk of developing
bone cancer than intact dogs.

Neutered dogs had a 2.8 times greater risk for developing any prostate than intact dogs.

Neutered dogs had a 4.3 times higher risk of developing prostate carcinoma.

Neutered dogs had a 3.6 higher risk for developing transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder
than intact dogs and a 3 times greater risk of developing any bladder tumor.

Spayed/neutered dogs had more than 4 times greater risk for developing transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder than intact dogs.

One study indicated a slightly increased risk of mammary cancer in female dogs after one heat cycle (8% increase), greater risk with two heats (26% increase) and increased risk with each subsequent heat.

However, a recent  systematic review  of the publications that advocate neutering to reduce the risk of mammary  tumors in dogs indicated that 9 of 13 reports had a high risk of bias and the remaining 4 had a moderate risk of  bias. This study concluded that the evidence that neutering reduces the risk of mammary cancer is weak and do not constitute a sound basis for firm recommendations.

Additionally, at the time when several of these studies were conducted (late 1960s), it was found that incidence rates for all malignant neoplasms were 4/100,000 female dogs. Mammary tumors accounted for half of these tumors, 8/100,000. Thus, the actual overall risk  at that time of any bitch getting a mammary tumor was only 0.2%.

In any case, the figures for increased risk of mammary cancer must be compared with the 200 to 400% increased risk of other cancers in spayed females.

While about 30% of mammary cancers are malignant as in humans, when caught and surgically removed  early, the prognosis is very good)

This is in comparison to the other cancers listed, such as hemangiosarcoma
and bladder cancer, which are often fatal. 

Given the balance of cancer risks listed above, owners  should strongly consider leaving the ovaries intact for at least two heat cycles. In addition, the veterinary  field should be developing programs for regular examinations  including imaging to facilitate early diagnosis of mammary cancer in all intact female dogs, as has been performed in women for decades.

Behavior Considerations
Early age gonadectomy was associated with an increased incidence of noise phobias and undesirable sexual behaviors, such as mounting. Significantly  more behavioral problems in spayed and neutered bitches and dogs, with  fearful behavior being most common in spayed bitches and aggression in neutered dogs.

In 2011, researchers at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine found that cancer was the most common cause of death in older dogs. (It’s also the leading cause of death for 71 of the 82 breeds studied.)

what your vet says should take precedence over this - I will touch on some of the more common tumors/cancers as we've had several dogs over the past 4 decades with cancer and more with lipomas which while worrisome are not something to panic over -but should be monitored letting your vet know of rapid changes.

Not all tumors in dogs are cancerous, but all of them should be evaluated by your veterinarian.

Lipomas
Christine Swanson, DVM, a veterinary medical oncologist and assistant professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, calls this benign fatty tumor very common and notes that many different breeds are prone to developing them. Lipomas usually feel like a relatively soft mass that can be moved around underneath a dog’s skin.
They vary in size, and most of the time, they’re not a serious issue. A fine needle aspirate is done to confirm the benign nature of the tumor, and the tumor is usually only removed if it’s bothersome to the dog’s normal movement or activity

Mast Cell Tumors
mast cell tumors are one of the most common type of canine skin tumors. These grow quickly and are usually red and very itchy.

Melanoma
This is a form of cancer of the pigmented cells of the skin of dogs, and like melanoma in people, these tumors are typically black or dark brown. Many skin masses are benign, but those in the mouth and at the nail bed can be very aggressive, she adds. In the case of the latter, the toe is typically swollen and may be painful. Following an x-ray, it may be determined that the affected toe must be amputated in order to fully remove the cancerous mass.

The risks with this specific type of melanoma don’t end there. It may metastasize to places such as the lymph nodes in the area and the lungs, liver, or other internal organs. Once evidence of such metastasis has been identified, some combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy (a therapeutic vaccine for canine melanoma has been licensed by the USDA)

Lymphoma
Lethargy, decreased appetite, and coughing may accompany swollen lymph nodes in dogs of all breeds with this type of cancer, although some individuals initially show little in the way of symptoms other than lymph node swelling. this swelling is most noticeable under the jaw, in front of the shoulders, and behind the knees.
A fine needle aspirate and/or tissue biopsy is done to reach a diagnosis. Then, a veterinary oncologist will conduct something called a staging test to determine where else in the body these cells might be. The most common treatment is chemotherapy.

Papilloma
These benign tumors are warts in dogs, and Swanson says they can be uncomfortable and problematic. When this infection develops, multiple hard, pale, cauliflower-like warts are noted typically on the lips, inside the mouth, and around the eyes. The warts can be painful and severe infections can make chewing and swallowing difficult.

Papillomas will go away after a few weeks, sometimes months—though if they’re causing major problems for the dog in question, they can and should be removed by a veterinarian.
​
These benign tumors are caused by a virus (called papillomavirus) that is transmitted by direct contact with an infected dog or contaminated objects like bedding or toys. While it’s best to keep affected dogs isolated from unaffected ones, the incubation period often lasts months, so by the time symptoms make themselves known, it might have already spread to other dogs in a household.