MYTH: Coconut oil can cure heartworms. FACT: Coconut oil does not cure heartworms in dogs. As discussed, the only effective treatment for heartworm disease in dogs is a series of injections of melarsomine. For some reason, a few years ago, coconut oil emerged as a fabled silver bullet in pet care.
They can be controlled naturally with citrus oils, cedar oils, and diatomaceous earth. Dogs needing conventional treatment may benefit from herbs such as milk thistle and homeopathics such as berberis; these minimize toxicity from the medications and dying heartworms.
It can even rid your pet of tapeworms, giardia, and other parasites when fed regularly. When coconut oil is fed to your pet it's body converts lauric acid to monolaurin, which has been effective in the treatment of tapeworms, giardia and other parasites.
To use it topically, simply rub a very small amount onto your hands and then gently pat the coat, run your fingers through the fur, and massage a little down onto the skin. Since coconut oil can be given orally, you don't have to worry if dogs lick themselves after it's been applied to their coats.
Slow Kill Method
While not generally recommended, another method of handling heartworms is to only attack the microfilaria, leaving existing adult heartworms to die of natural causes. This is known as the slow kill method. It's cheaper and does not require a rest period and debilitating adulticide.
If owners can't afford treatment at the time of diagnosis, Dr. Herrin recommended delaying melarsomine therapy but still initiating treatment with both a preventive and doxycycline. This will prevent further infection and remove the dog as a heartworm reservoir.
No one wants to hear that their dog has heartworm, but the good news is that most infected dogs can be successfully treated. The goal is to first stabilize your dog if he is showing signs of disease, then kill all adult and immature worms while keeping the side effects of treatment to a minimum.
To use coconut oil topically, apply it to the skin about once a week, and let it be absorbed for a few minutes. After five minutes or so, rinse your dog off. If he still feels excessively greasy or oily, you can follow up with a light shampoo and rinse.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
Apple cider vinegar can be effective at killing worms in your dog. Unlike other vinegars, it increases the alkaline levels in your dog's intestines.
Coconut oil is considered to have natural antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties,8 so if your dog has cracked pads or other minor cuts or bruises, it can be safely used as a natural topical antibiotic to help heal and soothe those wounds.
You can mix remedies to use as a general worming solution. Herbs For Pets recommends this combination for worms in dogs. 2 parts unsalted, raw pumpkin seeds 1 part garlic powder 1 part fennel seeds 1 part yucca root Mix the ingredients together. You can grind the pumpkin seed or leave them whole.
Coconut oil is generally safe for dogs to eat in small amounts or have applied to their skin or fur. When it comes to selecting a brand, virgin coconut oil is best, as most of coconut oil's benefits have been observed with this type.
Add garlic to your pet's diet
This may sound strange, but garlic can actually help prevent heartworm. Feed your dog one clove of fresh garlic for every 10 pounds of body weight every day.
Once mature, heartworms can live for 5 to 7 years in dogs and up to 2 or 3 years in cats. Because of the longevity of these worms, each mosquito season can lead to an increasing number of worms in an infected pet.
How much apple cider vinegar do you give a dog for heartworms? Unlike other vinegar, apple cider vinegar increases the alkaline levels in the intestines of the dog. As a result, it creates an inhospitable environment for worms and other parasites. You can add ¼ to 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar in your dog's water daily.
Pumpkin Seeds
These work as an effective deworming agent as they contain cucurbitacin, an amino acid. It paralyzes the worms, which makes it easier to eliminate them from the intestine. You can feed the pumpkin seeds as a treat or grind them to mix them in your dog's food. One teaspoon per 10 lbs is sufficient enough.
Dogs are treated with deworming medications, usually administered twice – to catch the adult worms and then two-to-four weeks later to catch those that are newly developed.
Turmeric is another excellent natural remedy for intestinal worms. It acts as an internal antiseptic and contains antimicrobial properties that help kill intestinal worms. Plus, turmeric can help relieve bloating, excessive gas, nausea and abdominal pain, which are some of the common symptoms of intestinal worms.
Side Effects of Coconut Oil for Dogs
If you give your dog too much coconut oil, they can get diarrhea. Your veterinarian will let you know a healthy amount to give your dog. In some cases, your dog might have an allergy to coconut oil. Signs of an allergy include an upset stomach and itching.
Be sure to spend some time rubbing the coconut oil into dry spots on his skin, his paws, and nails. Leave the coconut oil on your dog's skin and paws for about seven minutes. The longer it stays on, the better it will work.
Some dogs live with heartworms for a long time with little to no outside indicators of infection, especially if they don't have many heartworms. That said, heartworms have a lifespan of five to seven years, so unfortunately they have plenty of time to wreak havoc on your dog's system.
Dogs with heartworm disease can live high-quality lives as long as they are given appropriate care. After completing treatment and following your veterinarian's recommenda- tions on heartworm disease testing and prevention, the chances of any long-term effects are very low.
Medications: Protocols for treating heartworms often call for the use of multiple medications including several injections to kill the adult heartworms, doxycycline and prednisone taken orally to reduce the chances of unwanted side effects, and heartworm preventative to kill the juvenile heartworms and prevent further ...