It’s really very difficult to know. I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to say that you have “plenty” of time, but the earlier you have discovered the heartworms in Shoeshine, the more time you would have before they really take hold.

Because it is the combination of products that works so well, I would say that it would be better to add the Black Walnut, since you are already giving the Artemisia Combination and the HSII Combination, albeit in small doses.

I also don’t know what weight Shoeshine is. The dosage information is here – http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/dosages

In general terms, I believe it would be sensible to give small amounts of all the products, and then build up the dose of all of them (one at a time if you like), to ensure that Shoeshine is tolerating the dosage level.

Again, I stress that I am not a vet, and so these suggestions are purely from what I consider would be a logical thing to do in these circumstances.

It would be sensible to have Shoeshine re-checked for heartworm by your vet within the next few weeks at most, to make sure that the heartworms are not actually progressing. If they are, you will need to act much more quickly, and if the herbs don’t agree with Shoeshine at a higher dose, you may need to consider whatever your vet is recommending (although the chemical Ivermectin treatments to get rid of heartworm are very hard on the dog’s body, and can make them very ill – I think any vet would agree that this is the case).

It’s a very difficult situation for you.

Keep us posted as to Shoeshine’s progress.

Regards,
Brigitte

I waited 4 weeks to make sure “Shoeshine” had no more bouts of diarrhea. I then gave him 1 of the Artemisia combination per day in the morning for a week. The next week I gave him 1 of the artemisia combo and 1 of the HS II in the morning. I am writing to get your recommendation for moving on to this week. Do you think I should add an artemisia combo capsule in the morning or evening or the black walnut? I know I am moving slowly, but I am afraid of overdoing it. He almost died the first time of dehydration.

How will I know that the dose I give him is enough to kill the heartworms? He is in the early stage of the heartworm infestation. I realize that this is a long term treatment, but the vet is anxious to do heartworm treatment soon, which obviously I do not want to do. How pressing is this problem? Do I have plenty of time to work through this natural method of ridding him of heartworms?

Thank you for your help.

Donna

I haven’t heard of the heartworm treatment herbs causing diarrhea before, but I know that some dogs (and people) are more sensitive to herbs than others. So I think you are probably on the right track in your thought that a lower dose might suit your dog better.

Certainly, as a preventative, a lower dose is used, so a lower dose is effective for preventing heartworm in the first place. I guess it could be a matter of finding the happy medium – a dose that is high enough to actually kill off the heartworm, but not so high that it gives your dog the side effect of the diarrhea.

The other alternative you might want to try is the Parasite Doctor product – the manufacturers certainly say it works as a treatment. I recommend that product as a preventative but not as a treatment only because I do not personally know of anyone who has used it as a treatment, so I am unable to give any personal experience on its effectiveness. I do know of several people who have successfully treated heartworm in their dogs with the Nature’s Sunshine herbal heartworm program. That’s why I recommend the Nature’s Sunshine herbs for treatment.

Regards,
Brigitte

I know you are not a vet, but my vet knows nothing about natural pet care and I can’t afford the one that does. My daughter found a beagle at a gas station that had been abandoned. She brought it to the vet and then gave it to us. The dog had all kinds of worms and the vet said he has heartworms. I researched and found your website and many websites that link to yours. So I bought all the products to do the natural heartworm treatment. I gave my dog the recommended amount of each item. In about 3 weeks he began having bloody diarrhea and vomiting. I had to take him to the vet because he was dehydrated. His condition improved so I began the treatment again. Within two weeks he was back at the vet with the same symptoms. The vet can find no cause for them. He has been free of any kind of diarrhea and vomiting for 3 weeks now. He doesn’t seem to be going back to it. I haven’t given him the herbs since the last vet visit. Do you think it is possible that the dosage was too strong for him? Do you think I could try again with smaller dosages? Have you heard of this happening with other dogs?

Again, I know you are not a vet. I will not consider anything you tell me as medical advice. I just know that you’ve had experience with this treatment. Have you seen this happen with other dogs? I would just like to know your opinion on this.

Thank you,

Donna Smith

Thanks for your input. My understanding of Diatomaceous Earth is that it comes in differing grades, and that the grade used for farm animals and other uses is not suitable for pets. But more than that I can’t tell you. Possibly that’s a marketing ploy to get us to buy a more expensive product. But I personally wouldn’t want to take that chance.

Currently, I use products containing Diatomaceous Earth for flea control – and apply the product externally.

One of the components of Worm-Out is Diatomaceous Earth, but it also contains other ingredients. I don’t think Worm-Out is available at the moment, in any event. The product I’m currently using for heartworm prevention is Parasite Dr – see here – http://www.dog-health-care-information.com/parasitedoctor

Parasite Dr can apparently be used to cure heartworm, so its credentials on preventing heartworm seem pretty good.

On the topic of treatment of established heartworm, though, I personally would go for the treatment program here – http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/Heartworm and http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/HeartwormTreatment – I personally know of people who have used this treatment system for established heartworm, and their dogs have recovered – untreated, heartworm is a fatal condition.

There seems to be some dispute in relation to many natural products. The dispute sometimes arises because the products have not been clinically tested like drugs are. This is usually because of funding – the drug companies have huge budgets for clinical trials and can then publish those results in support of whatever the drug is said to do. Without a clinical trial, evidence of a product working cannot, in some peoples’ minds, be conclusive.

Please note, however, that I am not a vet and I have no veterinary training whatsoever. I speak only from my own very limited experiences as a dog owner like yourself.

Regards,
Brigitte

I read your Healthy Happy Dogs newsletter & it talks about a product called “worm out”. You can buy Diatomeous Earth (spelling ?) & it will work & probably a lot cheaper.

I bought 50#s for about $18.00 from a company that uses it in cattle stuff.

I am hesitant about a natural hw preventative, if you read the Whole Dog Journal they have been researching this for years & no natural product has been proven to work long term.

Thank you.
Debbie