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Heartworm is a parasite that is transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The larvae enter the bloodstream and migrate to the heart. The larvae live in the heart for six months before becoming adults. If an animal tests positive for heartworm, it can be treated effectively and safely, unless the infestation has been present for a long time (3-4 years).
Most holistic doctors and alternative vets will explain that the healthy pet, eating a good diet, not vaccinated, and not currently taking any heartworm medications or chemical flea and tick preventives, will most likely have a strong immune system that will fight the heartworm. . None of the larvae will survive to become an adult. In the unlikely event that some of the larvae manage to survive to adulthood, it is not the death sentence that many veterinarians and pharmaceutical companies want us to believe. A truly healthy dog will not be a hospitable host. Heartworms will be weakened by their strong immune system and the pet should be able to fight them off with no lasting ill effects to their health.
Dr. William Falconer, a homeopathic veterinarian in Austin, Texas, states, “As far as we know, heartworm has been around forever, but we don’t read reports of wolves and coyotes being wiped out by heartworm, and yet However, domestic dogs are falling prey to it.”
The reason our domesticated pets fall victim to heartworms is because they have weakened immune systems. Canines in the wild eat raw meat and bones and are never exposed to chemical treatments. Their strong immune system fights heartworm in the larval stage, or very few heartworms survive and do not threaten the lives of their hosts.
A parasite does not intend to kill the host. The evolution of a parasite depends on the completion of its life cycle. If it kills the host, it means the end. When parasites infest and eventually kill the host, the host must have had health problems to begin with.
Veterinarian Dr. Levy practiced for many years in California and treated many dogs for heartworms. He noted that the only dogs that developed symptoms of heart failure were those given annual vaccinations, fed commercial dog food and receiving drug treatments for other symptoms, such as skin conditions.
Dr. Levy concludes: “It’s not really that different from common roundworms, as most dogs don’t show any symptoms. Only a dog whose health is compromised is unable to tolerate some roundworms. Also, a dog truly healthy would not be susceptible to any type of worm in the first place It seems to me that the real problem is that allopathic attitudes have instilled in many of us a fear of disease, fear of pathogens and parasites, fear of rabies, as if these are evil and malicious entities just waiting to devastate a naive and unprotected public.”
So do we need to use a preventative every year? To see if your pet is at risk, find out how many heartworm cases we’ve had in Ontario in recent years and where most cases occurred. Infected mosquitoes transmit heartworm, so how about eliminating the risk by keeping your pet safe with a natural mosquito repellant and reducing mosquito populations in the environment? Stagnant water is an ideal breeding ground for them. Get rid of it. When traveling with your pet, find out how high the risk of heartworm is in those areas and take precautions like holistic insect repellants.
Keep in mind that the posters from manufacturers of heartworm preventives are supposed to make you afraid. And it works, right? But is the risk as high as they make it seem? Are we buying because we are not informed about the disease, the product, the side effects and the real risk to our pets? The usual dramatic poster of an open heart full of heartworm is actually the heart of an animal with weak immunity that has been infected with heartworm for years, never tested or treated.
Heartworm pills are not really a preventative, but a cure, which is toxic. Would you take toxic leukemia drugs every month of every year in case you ever have them? Probably not. Dr. Martin Goldstein, DVM, states in his book The Nature Of Animal Healing that he believes most of the liver disease and cancers we see in dogs today are related to heartworm preventatives. Her own dog and most of the clients in her practice are not treated with heartworm preventatives.
As mentioned above, heartworm medications, flea and tick prevention, and annual checkups are a major source of income for veterinarians. You have the option to say yes or no to products or services. That doesn’t make you a bad pet owner. That makes you a good, educated pet owner who is making careful decisions when weighing the likelihood of encountering disease or health problems from toxic preventatives. Period.
What is the best remedy for heartworm?
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