Friday, October 18, 2013

Preventing Heartworm The Natural Way

By Geraldine Dimarco


For people who own dogs, these precious pups are usually treated like children more than the animals that they are. As such, it is a difficult ordeal to watch them suffer sicknesses like heartworm that when left on its own for long, can result to serious complications, even death. Here are simple natural heartworm preventative measures that will help you in this matter.

First of all, what is heartworm? Heartworms are parasitic worms that are transmitted to the dogs bloodstream through mosquitoes. Although not all mosquitoes transmit heartworms, when a carrier does bite the dog its larvae will transfer into the canines bloodstream reaching his vital organs. As you can imagine, this will be terminal for the dog when the contamination reaches the heart and lungs.

The most basic natural heartworm prevention tip is to provide your pet with a healthy diet. A healthy pet will have a better immune system to fight off infections and complications in his body. Processed food generally contain chemicals that may weaken the dog, so serve raw meat, fruits and vegetables instead. Do not use milk or food that contains artificial flavorings and sugar.

Mosquitoes do not bite healthy animals. Hence, it will do your dog well to improve on the factors that will boost his immune system. Take care of the liver especially-- it functions to remove waste and stores essential vitamins and minerals. Other than a healthy diet, keep away from any form of synthetic medication that will introduce chemicals that are detrimental to your dogs system. Moreover, avoid stress inducing situations for the canine.

Another vital natural heartworm prevention measure is to ensure that the animal engages in regular physical activities. Play and exercise with your pet. It is a good way to spend quality time with them while improving his heart and circulatory system. Red blood cells bring oxygen to the different organs; and white blood cells fights infection that will be hazardous to the dog's health. Adult heartworms will not be able to implant itself firmly to a healthy heart.

If you live in a place where heartworms are more common than average, have regular check-ups with the vet to see if your pet has contracted any kind of sickness. You can find out if the animal has been infected through administering a simple blood test. Do not give synthetic drugs of any form to your pet unless your vet strongly recommends that he does. Otherwise, the chemicals will do more damage in the long run.

These natural heartworm preventative measures will ensure the safety of your pet, and is infinitely better than having to remedy the already infected dog. Medicines that are given to cure heartworm infections are really insecticides that kill the worm. These curative drugs are actually poisons in small doses and may lead to eventually destroying the other organs and systems of your dog.

Animals that are lethargic and have lost a lot of weight might already have heartworm. Other symptoms include coughing and difficulty in breathing. If you find these in your pet, visit the vet as soon as possible.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment