Heartworm Disease

What causes heartworm disease?
Heartworm disease (dirofilariasis)
is a serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs.
It is caused by a worm called dirofilaria immitis.



Heartworms are found in the heart and large adjacent
vessels of infected dogs.
The female worm is 6 to 14 inches (2.3 to 5.5 cm) long
and 1/8 inch (5 mm) wide;
the male is about half the size of the female.
One dog may have as many as 300 worms.

The cause of heartworms is mosquitoes.
For dogs, and sometimes cats, they can cause
life-threatening problems because they transmit heartworms.
These are parasites that enter the bloodstream
as larvae and migrate to the heart.
Six months after reaching the heart, the larvae turn into adults,
and that's when problems begin.
Full-grown heartworms eventually fill the heart, blocking flow
of blood to the lungs and doing damage to the heart.
By the time you see symptoms,
they've already done damage to the heart.

Mosquitoes still bite animals on heartworm pills.
The key is to get the blood of the pet in a healthy enough
condition that the mosquitoes won't want it.
Mosquitoes are a parasite.
Herbs that have anti-parasitic properties will discourage
not only mosquitoes, but fleas and ticks also.

Herbs such as Mugwort (artemisia vulgaris),
Clove Flower Buds (eugenia caryophyllata),
Garlic (allium sativum), Spearmint Herb (mentha spicata),
Turmeric Root (curcuma longa),
Black Walnut (juglans nigra), and Wormwood (artemisia annua)
are examples of what can be used to formulate an effective
preventative and as part of a treatment program.

Dogs and cats have their own way of protecting
themselves from mosquitoes.
They instinctively avoid the hot, muggy places where mosquitoes
congregate and spend time in the cool, dry areas.
They will also roll in the dust or even mud to remove
moisture from the skin and change their scent,
to be less attractive to mosquitoes.

Dr. Mona Boudreaux, D.V.M. says, "Give [your pet] garlic.
This pungent herb repels mosquitoes,
cleanses the blood, and strengthens the immune system.
Dogs over 50 pounds can have as much as two teaspoons
of garlic a day,
and smaller dogs can have 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon a day.
Garlic can be a problem for cats, so don't give them too much.
A safe limit is 1/8 teaspoon or less a day
for up to two weeks at a time."



Source(s)
Bandit's Buddies
Generic Heartworm Preventatives
Herbs for Animals
Pet Shed
Precious Pets



Dog Heartworm Control Products

Heartgard® Heartworm Control
The market leading heartworm preventative in tablet form.
Taken monthly.

Revolution®
- all in one heartworm control and flea treatment
Treat heartworm as well as fleas in a single
monthly spot on application.
Prevents heartworm, kills fleas, treats and controls
ear mites and sarcoptic mange.




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