This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice.*

Heartworm Treatment

Many pet owners use daily or monthly heartworm preventative treatments to prevent heartworms in dogs. These pet owners, however, may not realize that they are actually regularly administering an insecticide that is designed to stop the "baby heartworms" from becoming adults. Administered over a period of time, the toxic side-effects from heartworm treatments may become a serious health risk for your pet.

Side effects listed for heartworm preventative treatments can include: vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, and weakness. These pills may weaken your dog’s immune system and make him more susceptible to illness. Your dog’s immune system recognizes the chemicals as poison.

Many alternative veterinarians believe that the long-term use of heartworm treatments drugs are a link in the chain of diseases such as arthritis, liver and kidney diseases, skin allergies, and many types of degenerative problems.

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.

Heartworm Prevention with Essential Oils

Natural heartworm prevention can include the essential oils of Geranium and Lemongrass, which have a scent that repels insects.

Instructions for Geranium and Lemongrass Use:

Pure Geranium and Lemongrass Essential Oils are very powerful and effective. If used alone for a flea spray, we suggest you put no more than 4 drops per half cup of water and keep it refrigerated. Shake before spraying a light spritz on the pet's fur. No need to make the fur all wet, the bugs are repelled from the scent of it. Do not get in the eyes, nose or mouth.

Herbal treatments for dogs

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.

Your veterinarian can give your dog a blood test that may be able to detect a heartworm infestation if one does occur. In many cases heartworms can be treated effectively if caught early. Natural heartworm prevention treatments below.