If your dog or cat is on a daily or monthly heartworm preventative, or your vet has tried to sell you one, read this.
For years consumers have been mislead on the subject of
heartworm. Here are the facts.
Most veterinarians will have you believe that giving a daily or
monthly pill to prevent heartworm is safer than the treatment to cure it. Once again,
the veterinarians may not have the right answer here. Let's look at the bottom line:
1.The majority of these preventatives kill the heartworms
before they mature. So every day or every month you give your animal that pill, you are
actually administering the cure for heartworm, you're not really preventing it
2.The cure for heartworm is not safe, it has toxic consequences
3.These "preventative" products are just that, cures
4.Sure, the dosage is much smaller when given in a preventative dose. But when you give
it to your pet month after month, this is where the toxic effects become a serious health
risk
And they expect us to believe this is safer? Heartworm prevention treatments are a chemical
insecticide, no matter what brand or what type. The chemicals alone are enough to potentially
cause disease. Here is how:
These pills beat up your pet's immune system
Your pets system recognizes the chemicals as a foreign toxic substance
The system then works harder to eliminate the toxins
The major organs (such as liver and kidney) become strained unnecessarily
The system becomes run down, suppressing the immune response
When a real disease or virus enters the animal's body, it can not fight it off and the
animal is consumed by sickness
Side Effects
The chemicals used in most of these heartworm preventatives can
cause serious side effects like vomiting, diarrhea, weakness and convulsions even in the
healthiest animals. It is not uncommon for pet owners to rush into vet offices confused about
what is wrong with their pet. Here is the irony, when the vets see these symptoms, they
usually want to start your pet on a heartworm "preventative" medication thinking the symptoms
may be heartworm, and they want to take precautions.
Thankfully, a portion of the veterinary industry has acknowledged these dangers. Known as "alternative vets" they are open to re-examining treatments for
the safest and most effective "alternative." Some actually recommend not giving your pet the
chemical heartworm preventatives. And many of those alternative veterinarians
believe that long term use of heartworm prevention is a link in the chain of diseases such as
skin allergies, arthritis, liver and kidney diseases and many types of cancers.
If your pet is on a heartworm preventative, the mosquito's will
still bite them. True prevention would mean you have to get to the source of the problem, the
biting mosquito.
1.Stock up on an all natural insect repellant spray
(citronella works great).
2.Spray your animal before going into mosquito territory.
This will keep the mosquito's away.
3.Put your pet on either Wormwood or Black Walnut (liquid or
capsules). Note:
We like the liquid because it is so easy just to put a few drops
right down the back of your pet's throat. These herbs not only keep the
mosquito's away, but they also kill any worms or parasites that enter the body. So if a
mosquito carrying heartworm does decide to bite your pet, the worms will die before ever
reaching the heart. Find these herbs at any health food store or vitamin shop in your
area. Ask them for dosages and frequency for your specific pet.
We continue to remind you, don't get caught up in the hype.
As you can see there is always a healthier choice to chemicals
that can work. However, if heartworm is prevalent in your area, you should consider
contacting an alternative veterinarian for additional natural support.
Pet Consumer Report promotes an insecticide-free philosophy. The evidence is
overwhelming to us. As always, we encourage you to make your own decision. Perhaps you
will look into this more on your own. Natural prevention can be accomplished quite easily
and inexpensively.
