Prevention and treatment of heartworm without drugs

Prevention and treatment of heartworm without drugs
I protect my dogs by using TOPDOG's Herbal Vinegar, see: http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/231.top
Get rid of any still sitting water around the house and dogs... For a little education about those dreaded bloodsuckers:
http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/728.html
I add natural insect repellant to my dogs coat... see:
http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/598.html
Cure for west nile and more?!? see:
http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/790.html
http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/803.html
Here are some excellant posts which pertain to your questions...
http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/151.html
http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/153.html
http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/192.html

HEARTWORM CURED!?!

Bandit's Story
This page is dedicated to my sweet dog, Bandit who now, at 14 years and a healthy 14.2 pounds has been cured of a moderate to severe (as the Vet called it) case of heartworms that was diagnosed in January of 2000.
I began to notice that Bandit was acting sluggish and began coughing a good bit, which turned to loss of appetite and what is known as the "typical heart cough" that a dog gets when s/he is infected with heartworms. Because we take him to the Vet only for his yearly shots, I was reluctant, but decided it would be a good idea for him to be looked at by a D.V.M. The blood test revealed a moderate/severe case of heartworms and the vet gave me the sad news that my dog would have 6 months or so to live. She suggested I put him on steroids and make his life as comfortable as possible.
I refused to accept this sad outcome and made a call to my dear friend Donna Watkins and she and I spent a few days contemplating an herbal approach to hopefully cure my dog of this dreadful parasite.
Below you will find the program I put him on. I have no license to diagnose or prescribe, this is merely what worked for Bandit and I make it available for those who wish to have the information. I DO NOT recommend that you use bits and pieces of this program, but rather, if you want to use the program, use ALL OF THE HERBS and buy Nature's Sunshine so you know you are getting high quality and pure herbs. You are welcome to email me with questions at justrobin@bellsouth.net.

Bandit's Diet
In order to have a successful program, I realized the importance of a
good diet
http://www.healthypetcorner.com/petdiet.html and the need for Bandit to cleanse and excrete the parasites. I recommend food that is not loaded with chemicals and "dead" products. I fed him twice per day with his herbs, no snacking so that his energy could be focused on cleansing. I added fresh vegetables and whole grains to the food along with a weekly dose of olive oil. My pets drink only purified water or distilled water.

Bandit's Heartworm TREATMENT Program
The following is the herbal program used for Bandit...(all herbs are Nature's Sunshine brand):
Upon waking and nightly before bed: Artemesia Combination on an empty stomach
AM and PM Meals:
Coq10 Plus (10 mg) and HSII
Black Walnut mixed with food http://www.healthypetcorner.com/petdiet.html
As needed for coughing: Yucca
Got Questions about Dosage for your dog? http://myaccount.home.mindspring.com/HeartwormFAQ.htm

Bandit's Heartworm MAINTENANCE Program
(Note: this is for prevention of the development of heartworms, not treatment for a dog diagnosed with heartworms)
Heartworm prevention requires a multi-faceted approach which includes a good diet
http://www.healthypetcorner.com/petdiet.htmland not exposing your dog to mosquitos as much as possible. My dog is an inside dog and I've been successful with a preventative program, but would not recommend this for dogs who are kept outside because they have increased exposure and are thus at higher risk.
To provide as much protection as possible from mosquitos, we use cedar mulch in the area where Bandit does his "business." We make sure there is no standing water for the mosquitoes to breed in. Prior to leaving the house and again upon returning after play or "business," I spray Bandit with an essential oil spray which I make up and keep by the door. The mist is made of 1 cup of water with 4 drops of Tea Tree Oil and 4 drops of Lavender Oil http://myaccount.home.mindspring.com/heartwormshop.htm in it.
Shake it right before spraying. I use this on myself as a great bug repellant. Nice and safe with no worries of toxic chemicals on the skin. You can spray spray pet bedding and outdoor areas with this spray to deter mosquitos and other insects.
The preventative program that I have Bandit on is for a 15-20 pound dog (you may need to adjust accordingly - email me with questions at justrobin@bellsouth.net), is:
During first week of each month [for 7 days], he gets 2 Artemisia http://myaccount.home.mindspring.com...Heartworms.htm
every night before he goes to bed. I put Liquid Black Walnut http://myaccount.home.mindspring.com...Heartworms.htm in his water 4-5 days per week all during the month. I use 1/4 teaspoon in 2-1/2 cups of water. All three of my pets drink from that and that amount lasts two days. If you'd rather use a capsule that you can open and sprinkle on the food, you could do so. If I were using capsules, I would give Bandit 1/4 to 1/2 of a capsule 4-5 days per week all during the month on his food. I've found that most pets like Black Walnut http://myaccount.home.mindspring.com...Heartworms.htm. Please Note: For the first year following Bandit's cure of heartworms, he received HSII with his food twice a day. After the first year, he moved down to HSII once a day ih his morning meal to support his heart.
This program has kept my dog worm free for annual checkups. Please use wisdom and common sense in deciding whether the natural approach is for you and your pet family. Since the herbal way is less expensive than the drugs, please be sure you make the investment to have your dog tested annually. Note: I do not recommend people go off their heartworm medications unless they agree to do so with their vet.
Got Questions about Dosage for your dog? Click here.

WHY NATURE'S SUNSHINE HERBS: Please Note, I do not recommend using only some of the herbs, but rather the whole program. I also cannot make suggestions if you use brands other than Nature's Sunshine because there is no way of knowing about quality control in those cases. If you want to use Bandit's Heartworm Treatmen Program or his Maintenance Program, please take into consideration the weight of your dog. You are welcome to email me with questions. You might be wondering why I chose the herbs I did for Bandit's plan. The most imporant part of this program was to not only kill the heartworms, but for Bandit to have a way to eliminate them from his body. Therefore, it was important to keep his blood thinned and HIS HEART AND LUNGS WELL SUPPORTED during the stress of the cleanse. After the first two weeks on the program, he had fewer and fewer coughing fits and after 6 months, his energy level was better than it was before he got ill. He now frolics and plays like a puppy his fur has grown back in nice and thick and he doesn't seem to stress when he runs and plays... http://myaccount.home.mindspring.com/HeartwormFAQ.htm>


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Interesting read

Heartworm: A Realistic Look
Heartworm is of concern to all dog owners, and is a potentially serious, sometimes even fatal, disease. It is not, however, the unavoidable scourge that many vets and pharmaceutical companies would have us believe. If your dog is reasonably healthy, eating a SARF diet, is vaccine free, is not currently on any HW “preventives” or chemical flea and tick preventives, his immune system should be strong enough to fight off a heartworm infestation with none of the larvae reaching adulthood. In the event that some of the larvae should manage to get past your dog’s immune system defenses and survive to adulthood, it is still far from a death sentence. They will be much weakened, and the truly healthy dog will make a less hospitable host. Even at the adult stage, a healthy dog, possibly with some veterinary assistance, should be able to fight them off with no lasting ill effects to his health. Nor are the currently available cures more dangerous than the “preventive,” as the veterinary and pharmaceutical industries would have us believe.

The mid and southern Atlantic states and the north-central states (where we live) have the most reported cases of heartworm. See the maps at http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/merial/hrtworm/hw_3.htm. Note the tremendous increase in heartworm since the introduction of mass vaccinations (figure three).

Mosquitoes are the only known vector of the infective stage of the heartworm larvae. In some parts of the country mosquitoes are a problem all year round, while in others this problem is limited to the warm months.

There are many sites out there on the internet with lots of "information" on heartworm. The problem with much of it is that it is either wrong or incomplete. Much of it is intended to mislead and frighten you. One site says simply that a mosquito bites an infected dog then bites another dog and infects it. While that, to some extent, in the most general of ways, is true, it is very misleading because the entire process is much more complicated and time consuming than that that “explanation “ would lead one to believe. Another says that the mosquito injects the heartworm into your dog. This is simply false.

This is a compilation of information I've been collecting for a couple of years, including some tips on what you can do to protect your dog from heartworm.

The heartworm has 5 separate larval stages referred to simply as L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5. The L5 is actually the young adult stage. The fully mature adult is often referred to as L6. In addition, heartworm also has two separate cycles, which, combined, make up the total lifecycle of the heartworm. One cycle takes place in a mosquito, and the other inside a dog or cat.

When a mosquito bites a dog harboring microfilariae, the mosquito ingests the L1 larvae, or microfilariae. This can only happen if the dog is also harboring the L6, or mature adult heartworm, because the microfilariae are the offspring of the adult heartworm. These microfilariae can live for up two years in the dog’s blood without causing any harm. They must, however, be taken up by a mosquito in order to develop any further. If they are not, they will simply die of old age and be passed out of the system.

Once the mosquito ingests the microfilariae from the infected dog, the larvae must go through two stages of development, or molts, changing from L1 to L2 and from L2 to L3, while in the mosquitoe’s system before the mosquito can infect another dog. Once the L3 stage has been reached the larvae migrate to the mosquitoe’s mouth. It is only the L3 larvae which are capable of infecting another dog. This mosquito cycle takes anywhere from two weeks to about a month depending on the weather. The warmer the weather, the faster the development. If the larvae haven’t made the final development by then, they never will because the mosquito dies of old age at about 35 days, and along with the mosquito, die the larvae.

The importance of temperature: While the larvae are developing in the mosquito, development continues only when the temperature is above 64 degrees F. Further, the temperature MUST remain above 57 degrees Fahrenheit at all times, day and night during the entire mosquito cycle. If at any time during the development into the L3 stage, the temperature drops below 57 F, the development is aborted and must start over. Remember, it is only the L3 larvae which are capable of infesting your dog.

Now let’s say that a mosquito has bitten an infested dog; and that the temperature has remained above 57 degrees F for a minimum of 14 days since that bite; and that the mosquito bites your dog. Still, your dog is not infested because the L3 larvae are deposited in a tiny droplet of mosquito saliva adjacent to the bite, not injected into your dog by the mosquito--as many would have us believe. Providing the humidity and temperature are such that the droplet does not evaporate before the they get the chance, the L3 larvae must swim through the saliva and into the hole left by the mosquito bite, thereby entering your dog’s system.

Once inside your dog, the L3 larvae must spend the next two weeks or so developing into the L4 larvae. During this period of time the larvae are living in the subcutaneous tissue just under the skin, not in the blood of the newly infected dog. The L4 will continue to live and develop in the subcutaneous tissue for the next two to three months, where they develop into the L5 stage. Once they make this development or molt into the L5 or young adult stage, they then leave the subcutaneous tissue and enter the blood stream. The L5 or young adults then migrate to the heart and pulmonary arteries where they make their final development into the L6 or mature, breeding, adult stage and attach to the tissue of the heart and pulmonary arteries. Once there, approximately 5 to 7 months after entering the dog’s body, they will mate. This mating produces the microfilariae.

If the dog is not re-infested with L3 larvae from another bite from another infected mosquito, the adult heartworm will die of old age in about 2 years. The microfilaria will also die a natural death unless taken up by a mosquito.

The adult female mosquito, the only one which bites, usually lives little more than thirty days. Some species live only a couple of weeks. See,

http://www.sci-ctr.edu.sg/ScienceNet..._zoo03865.html

For a great deal more information on the mosquito visit, http://www.mosquito.org/mosquito.html

When Is A Preventive Not A Preventive
The most popular heartworm "preventives," Heartgard and Interceptor, are not really preventives at all; rather they act by killing the microfilariae, L3, and/or L4 larvae in an infested dog. Interceptor kills the L3s, and L4s, while Heartgard will kill the L4s and some of the youngest L5s. In other words they're poisons, as are all of the other popular HW “preventives.” None of them kills the fully adult or L6 heartworms in the dosages prescribed for “prevention.” At higher doses, however, some of them will.

There are basically two standard tests for heartworm. One is called the antigen or occult test which tests for the antigens produced by the adult female heartworm. This test does not show the presence of microfilariae. The other is the microfilaria test. This test, of course, tests for microfilariae. Both Heartgard and Interceptor kill microfilariae. Therefore, if one’s dogs have been on either of these products, they will test negative for heartworm when given the microfilaria test, even though they may be infested with adult heartworms. It is not common, but it does happen. There have been many reports of dogs having very bad reactions to both Heartgard and Interceptor. Giving one’s dog doses of poison month after month to kill something which probably isn’t there anyway, doesn't make an awful lot of sense to me.

In his book "Homeopathic Care For Cats and Dogs", under the heading Heartworm, p332, Dr. Don Hamilton says:

"This is a serious disease that primarily affects dogs... It can be treated homeopathically but this should be under the care of an experienced veterinarian.

Heartworm preventives are generally very effective at protecting dogs against the disease....In dogs the "monthly" preventives are effective if given at six week intervals, and possibly even at seven- or eight week intervals.... The daily preventives are almost a thing of the past, but these are usually effective if given every other day.

Although the preventive drugs are generally safe, they can initiate an autoimmune disease in susceptible animals...The homeopathic nosode that is made from heartworm larva is employed commonly as a preventive to avoid the drug side effects. Many question its effectiveness, though I have several clients who use the nosode (apparently successfully) with animals in heartworm endemic areas. Most animals have no trouble with heart worms. I do know of some cases where the nosode did not protect, however. I believe it does offer some protection, though it may be incomplete... If you decide to try the nosode, you must understand that its effectiveness is currently unknown."

SEE PART 2
http://members5.boardhost.com/SUPERNATURAL/msg/967.html

I didn't think we had heartworm in England? Enlighten me please somebody! Thanks.

Thank you for the info Topdog

I don't think we do Helena having said that dogs imported into this country have been known to have the condition .

Thanks Mini, it's good to know we possibly don't then, but if dogs are coming in with it, maybe these worms can be transmitted to ours in some way, or do I have to read all that!?

Don't worry Helena, heartworms are caused be mosquitoes, we don't have the problem in this country. The condition can be diagnosed by blood test these days so I am sure dogs coming here from countries where heartworms are endemic (like the USA) will be tested.

Phew! Thanks Mini, one less thing for us to worry about then, until our mossies get a lot bigger maybe!

thanks for an interesting topic
I will be trying your spray on my two cavvies as we live in Australia and Heartworm is prevalent out here and I will try anything that is natural for them

My dog was a stray before I got her, and was eating a "natural" diet, was vaccine and chemical free and still managed to get a severe case of heartworms that nearly killed her. Don't think I'll be chancing my dogs health and well being on some concoction of sticks and leaves that someone with no medical or scientific training or study put together.

Intersting read though.