It works because unlike other vinegar it increases the alkaline levels in the dog's intestines making it inhospitable for parasites and worms. Add 1/4-1 teaspoon of raw organic ACV to your dog's water every day you may also notice an improvement in coat condition along with several other health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar has numerous health benefits and is known to be effective in treating worms in dogs. 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 prevent heartworm disease by using the same medication sold by drug companies for a fraction of the price. If you have a large dog, you can order the generic ivermectin from Amazon.com. (I have large dogs, so this is the form of ivermectin that I give them to prevent heartworm disease.)
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.
The official guidelines for the treatment of heartworm disease outlined by the American Heartworm Society state: “No 'natural' or herbal therapies have been shown to be safe and effective prevention or treatment for heartworm disease.”3 Personal communications with other veterinarians, along with personal practice, ...
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. You can even crush up the garlic and add it to their food.
Pumpkin seeds are an extremely effective deworming agent because they contain an amino acid called cucurbitacin. This paralyzes the worms making them easily eliminated from the intestine. They can be fed whole as a treat or you can grind them into a fine powder and add to Fido's food.
Apple cider vinegar is made from just apples and water, making it completely safe for dogs. It is slightly acidic, with a pH of 3.1 to 5, which gives it properties that can soothe a dog's overly alkalized digestive tract.
Apple cider vinegar is a useful and natural dewormer for dogs. It works by making a more alkaline digestive system, which parasites don't like. Give ¼ to 1 tsp per day in your dog's water or food.
The recommended treatment method is fast kill: a series of drug injections (melarsomine) over 2 months time that could also kill the dog if the worm burden is heavy enough and costs a significant amount of money (~$1000CA).
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.
Turmeric
Turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The anti-inflammatory property helps reduce inflammation in the digestive system and cures the damage caused by the worms. It also cleanses the liver by removing the toxins left behind by the worms in the dog's body.
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.
Signs of heartworm disease may include a mild persistent cough, reluctance to exercise, fatigue after moderate activity, decreased appetite, and weight loss. As heartworm disease progresses, pets may develop heart failure and the appearance of a swollen belly due to excess fluid in the abdomen.
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.
Melarsomine dihydrochloride (available under the trade names Immiticide and Diroban) is an arsenic-containing drug that is FDA-approved to kill adult heartworms in dogs. It's given by deep injection into the back muscles to treat dogs with stabilized class 1, 2, and 3 heartworm disease.
Ivermectin does sterilize adult heartworms. Ivermectin does kill microfilaria (keeping the dog from being a source of contagion) • Ivermectin does kill L3 and L4 larvae (preventing new infections).
How Long Can a Dog Live Without Heartworm Treatment? A dog can live at least six to seven months from the date of infection.
Current guidelines for the treatment of adult heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infections in dogs recommend 3 doses of the arsenical drug, melarsomine dihydrochloride, accompanied by doxycycline and a macrocyclic lactone (ML) (1–3). This is considered to be the safest, most rapid and most efficacious treatment protocol.
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.
Prognosis: heartworm treatment success rates
With the three-dose adulticide protocol described above, in conjunction with doxycycline and macrocyclic lactones as recommended by the American Heartworm Society, 98% of dogs will be cleared of heartworm infection.
Coconut oil can also be used as a natural dewormer for dogs. Your dog's body will convert the lauric acid in coconut oil to monolaurin, which is known to be effective against tapeworm, giardia, and other parasites. For coconut oil, work up gradually to 1 teaspoon/day per 10 lbs body weight.
After treatment, the adult worms die and are carried by the blood to the lungs where they lodge in small blood vessels. There they decompose and are absorbed by the body over a period of several months.