There are a lot of people that know a lot more about beagle health than I do so I'm not saying my way is the only way or the best way, its just what I do around here to help make sure that we have healthy dogs and puppies. I'm not a veterinarian so you need to use your own judgment on which, if any, of these tips or suggestions that you use.

If you only have a few dogs heartworm pills from your vet are the way to go but with the number of dogs that I have it would be too expensive so I use Ivomec which is actually a cattle wormer. It has the same ingredient (Ivermectin) used in most heartworm pills have but its a lot cheaper. You can buy it at Tractor Supply or your local feed store. The most common dosage is 1/10th of 1cc per 10 pounds of body weight orally but I have recently started giving them a little more than that. My dogs are all around 20 to 25 lbs. so I give them .3 cc's every month, year round. Judging from the dog's reaction, it tastes pretty bad so I usually draw up the proper amount in a syringe, then draw up some apple, orange juice, sweet tea, or whatever we have in the refrigerator at the time in the same syringe and shake it to mix it up a little bit. I open the dog's mouth then tip its head up and squirt the contents of the syringe in the roof of its mouth, then I close its mouth and hold it closed until the dog swallows. I've used it for years and know other beaglers that do the same thing with good results. Here is an interesting article about heartworms and and another one about heartworms and the use of Ivermectin to prevent them. Both articles are written by Wendy C. Brooks, DVM.  

Heartworm: The Parasite

Preventing Heartworm Infection in Dogs

I've also started using Valbazen which is a broad-spectrum anthelinintic whose active ingredient is Albendazale. It claims to "control more internal parasites than any other product on the market" and so far it seems to be working very well.

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract of animals, caused by coccidia protozoa. The disease spreads from one animal to another by contact with infected feces or ingestion of infected tissue. Diarrhea, which may become bloody in severe cases, is the primary symptom. Its is generally thought that as many as 60% of all puppies have coccidia in their digestive systems even though many puppies are never physically affected by it. Stress associated with weaning, switching food, going to a new home, or even weather can sometimes cause an outbreak. As a preventative I put Sulmet in the drinking water of the pups and the dam (usually when the pups are between 5 and 6 weeks old) and I don't generally have problems with it. If your puppy does happen to come down with it, it can be easily and safely cured with a drug called Albon. One of the biggest problems with diarrhea is dehydration so if your puppy develops it you need to get it to your vet asap and let him/her make the diagnosis and prescribe a treatment plan. 

Vaccinations

I vaccinate puppies with a 7-way shot at 6, 9, and 12 weeks, then again at one year old, and once per year after that. 7-way protects against Distemper, Adenovirus Type 2, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus, and both types of Leptos. I know some vets say don't give the 7 way till the 3rd shot (because of the Lepto) but its the way I've always done it and (knock on wood) I haven't had any problems yet.

Vaccine Information:

CANINE DISTEMPER - is considered the most serious viral disease of dogs in the world. Approximately 50% of non-vaccinated, non-immunized dogs infected with CD virus develop clinical signs of disease and approximately 90% of those dogs infected with CD die. The disease is considered airborne and is highly contagious. It's more frequent and acutely affects pups under 3 months of age. Early clinical signs include anorexia, diarrhea, and dehydration. As the disease progresses, fever, depression, vomiting and bloody diarrhea may be observed, accompanied by signs of respiratory distress. Coughing, labored breathing, inflammation of tissues around the eyes and nose, and mucopurulent oculonasal discharge may occur.

CANINE PARAINFLUENZA - is highly contagious respiratory disease which contributes to upper respiratory disease and infectious tracheobronchitis. Characteristic clinical signs of CPI Infection is coughing that may be intensified by activity or excitement. Environmental factors such as drafts, colds and high humidity may enhance susceptibility to the disease. Typically, CPI is self-limiting, with a course of 5 to 10 days duration. However, secondary bacterial infection of the respiratory tract are not uncommon, and may complicate the clinical syndrome.

BORDETELLA BRONCHISEPTICA - one of the most common causes of Canine Upper Respiratory Disease Complex, known as "Kennel Cough". Bacterial illness. The symptoms include a harsh, dry cough, aggravated by activity or excitement. The cough is followed by retching or gagging in an attempt to clear small amounts or mucus from the throat. Body temperature may be elevated as secondary bacterial infection takes place. Highly contagious, this disease is readily transmitted to susceptible dogs. Most common among dogs that congregate at dog shows, kennels, etc.

INFECTIOUS CANINE HEPATITIS - infections are characterized by fever, leukopenia, enlarged tonsils, hepatitis, nephritis and occasional uveitis with corneal opacity. Vaccination with modified live canine hepatitis vaccine, although effective in disease prevention, has certain disadvantages. Following vaccination, persistent kidney infections may occur, causing vaccine virus shedding in the urine. Uveitis and corneal opacity ("blue eyes") are occasionally observed 1 to 2 weeks post-vaccination. While viral hepatitis is not as common as it once was in dogs, it has not been eliminated as a threat.

CANINE CORONAVIRUS - the symptoms of this disease include lethargy, anorexia and depression. The sudden onset of vomiting occurs, in which blood can sometimes be found. Diarrhea is moderate to severe and is projectile. Feces are yellow-orange color with blood and mucus occasionally found.

CANINE ADENOVIRUS TYPE 2 - infections are primarily respiratory, evidenced by pneumonia, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis. CAV-2 has not been associated with corneal opacity ("blue eyes"), uveitis or virus localization in the kidneys, which may be characteristic of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) infections.

CANINE PARVOVIRUS - infection results in enteric disease characterized by sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea, often with blood. Susceptibility cannot be avoided. Any puppy exposed to the virus during the susceptibility period will most likely come down with the disease, regardless of many vaccination schedules. Modified Live Canine Parvovirus, Feline Panleukopenia Virus and inactivated (killed) Canine Parvovirus vaccines are available. All will (post 2 weeks from vaccination) protect dog from the virus if maternal antibody does not prevent immunization.

CANINE LEPTOSPIROSIS - an acute bacterial infectious disease that is characterized by depression, fever and loss of appetite. The mucous membranes are usually congested. Jaundice sometimes occurs indicating severe liver involvement. The kidneys can also be damaged, resulting in uremia, vomiting, dehydration, polyuria (excessive urination) and polydipsia (excessive thirst).

( http://www.vetvax.com/dogvaccineinfo.html )

Ticks are terrible where I live and controlling them is a battle I fight all spring and summer. I spray my yard and kennels about every 3 weeks throughout the spring and summer with insect killer and occasionally use flea and tick granules. I also put Sevin dust in all the dog houses. A product that works great for fleas is Bayer Tree and Shrub. You put 3 cc's of it on the back of their neck once a month and you'll probably be surprised how well it works for fleas. I also use Frontline and am pleased with the results that I get from it as well. Most people think its too expensive to use on a kennel full of beagles but I've found a way to cut the cost on it. I buy a 3 month supply for the large dogs and it costs just under $40 including tax. I then give each beagle .6 cc's. There is enough in one pack to treat 7 beagles for one month so it breaks down to costing me around $10 per month which is money well spent since it kills both ticks and fleas. I've also had good luck using  Python ear tags made for cows. You can buy the applicator and double them over and slide the collar through or you can cut two slits in the tag and slide the collar through that way. Another good thing about the ear tags is that they also help keep flies and mosquitoes off the dogs.

I travel with my job so I use self feeders for most of my dogs. Some people say that the dogs will eat more this way and maybe they do but it works good for me. I have two dogs that will over eat on self feeders so they're fed daily by me when I'm home and by my wife when I'm not.

I've fed several different brands/formulas of feed over the years and I'm not going to sit here and try to tell you that one brand is better than the next or which brand you should feed. That depends on on alot of things including whether your dogs are pets or if you hunt with them and if you hunt with them, how often and how long they generally run, and also whether or not a certain feed is even available in your area. I've fed Black Gold, Caliber, Diamond, Purina, and even Ol' Roy years ago, and had good results with all of them.

I got a little upset with Purina a few years ago for reducing the size of their bags but keeping their prices basically the same but I still feed Purina Puppy Chow to puppies and expectant mothers. I've raised alot of puppies over the years with that food and am very confident in it. I start giving it to pups softened with warm water as soon as they're old enough to eat it. I stop adding the water once they can chew it up and keep them on it till they're 8 to 10 months old, then I switch them over to adult food. Another trick you can use is to put a little bit of it in a blender and chopping it up. Put the pups down and stick their face to it and it usually doesn't take long before they start eating it. If you have any left over just put it in a baggie and use it next time.

About a month before they're due to whelp I give them a good bath, make sure they flea and tick free, worm them, and move them to an above ground kennel. I also gradually switch their feed to Purina Puppy Chow.  The bitch and pups are given Nemex wormer every two weeks until the pups are weaned.

This is the easy part. My wife and granddaughter love beagle puppies (doesn't everybody?) so any pups that we have are extremely well socialized. We start getting them out of the kennel as soon as they start walking and bring the whole litter in the house and just sit and watch em and play with em. They learn early not to be scared of people and you'd be surprised how much easier that makes the training that comes later.

Like I said earlier these are things that I do and hopefully you got some ideas or tips that you can use from this page. None of this is better than good veterinary care. I have a vet that I use and would recommend to anyone ( Dr. Keith Martin-Cabot Animal Clinic ) but I usually have from 12 to 20 dogs/puppies at any one time and its not economical for me to take them to him for any and all problems they might have.