Natural Cures For Canine Heart Worms – Are They Safe?

October 6, 2008 by Richard Cross

Heartworm is an internal parasite in canines, although they can also be transmitted to many other animals including humans. Usually Heartworm is given to a dog through a mosquito bite from a mosquito carrying the heartworm larvae. The larvae then grows and makes its way inside the dogs body. As the name suggests, heart worms can reside in the heart as well as lungs.

Symptoms Of Heart Worms

If your dog has heart worms, here are some of the symptoms to look out for. It is important to remember that while the disease can be extremely dangerous the initial symptoms are usually quite difficult to spot.

A cough. This starts to occur when there is a mild infection of heart worm.
If the dog starts to have strange or unusual noises from its lungs then this may be a sign of heartworm. You should always contact a vet if this happens.
Unwilling or unable to perform exercise
Difficulty breathing

If your dog has any of these signs you should contact your local vet immediately as heart worm can develop into a serious and even deadly condition if left untreated. Heartworm medicine for dogs may be needed, but your vet will be able to advise you.

Treatment of Canine Heart Worms

In the majority of cases heart worms can be successfully treated in dogs. However it is vital to get a proper medical examination by a trained vet.

Treatment centres around killing the adult worms in the dogs body while at the same time minimising damage to the animal. The earlier the symptoms of heart worms are spotted the easier this is.

Natural cures for canine heart worms should only be used if advised by a registered vet. They often do not contain the ability to kill the worms whilst keeping your dog as healthy as possible, and so you should be careful which ones you use. If left untreated, heart worms can kill a dog, so if at all possible you should always visit your vet as soon as you see any signs of deteriorating health.