Heartworm Treatment and Home Remedies for Pets

I love all the feedback that this site receives. It is my first time and I will be back. Thanks to all

One of my dogs Tested positive for heartworms years ago, it was the snap test. He said judging from how fast the color change was he had a pretty good case of them. I took him the next day to a vet that examines the blood on a slide under a microscope. Yes you guessed it, no heartworms. The snap test has a high rate of false positives. He still doesn't have them. I urge anyone ro make them prove it with a slide under the microscope. That way there is no question. Later my son got same diagnosis. Same vet. I sent him to the other Dr. Guess again. No heartworms. Fancy that. Thanks for reading

Hi Linda, What is a snap test?

I just gave my dog her first VRM with food. I don't know what else I should be giving her with this. I gave her one cap opened and poured on her food. She weighs 34 pounds.

Hey Maria!

The company that sells the VRM2 also sells additional supplements for organ health as your dog detoxes from the worms. You might contact the company for directions on dosage too.

I have a phantom poodle about 19 pounds..if I were to give her Garlic alternative..how much should I give her each day?

Maria, I also live in Rockport. I am interested in knowing what your outcome on this remedy was.

Does the garlic help with any type of worms?

My two year old lab that I acquired at one year has now been tested positive for heartworms. He has had digestive tract hookworms, and whip worms, skin allergies and diarrea leading to weight loss. Once 65 a year ago, down to 53 lbs today. He still has plenty of energy, but ribs, and other bones visible. I have always had him on preventative heartworm medication monthly, and when I first acquired, he tested negative. I'm hoping the garlic will come through. I immediately went to the grocery store and picked up garlic, and gave a 1/2 clove to him tonight. Hoping the the garlic routine works. May take a little for myself. Since IKE, the mosquitos have been out of control.

I would start using the protocols for BWH/WW if your dog is indeed heartworm positive. Since he has had so many types of worms you may want to do some supplements to beef up his immune system.

What is the dosage of VRM2 for a strong hw positive 82lb 14 year old German Shepherd? Is there a particular brand that is better than another?

Hey Rene!

There is only one brand of VRM2 - its made by Systemic Formulas and is part of their 'Bio-Challenge' line.

Their website and many others stress to NOT start using this product unless you can see it through to the full course of treatment which is 4 –6 cycles of 3 capsules VRM2 of 10 days on, 5 days off. A bottle holds 30 capsules - and the bottle also says to adjust for weight, so 2-3 capsules am or pm/4-6 capsules a day. So you are looking at the high end of 6 capsules a day for 10 days, then off for 5 - so two bottles for 1 cycle - and 6 cycles is recommended, so you are looking at 12 bottles to treat your dog for the recommended schedule. Also recommended while on the VRM2 treatment from the same company is their heart supplement [Biofunction H] and their kidney support [Biofunction K].

Please read up on heart worm and supportive care if you wish to treat your dog for heart worm:

http://www.homesforpets.org/heartworm_aftercare.pdf

https://www.google.com/#q=what+happens+during+heartworm+treatment

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=610

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/canine-heartworm.html

Teresa, that is wrong info. I originally posted about VRM2 here on this site and used it back in 2007 to cure a dog I rescued that had stage 4 heartworm. The dosage for dogs is not the same as you read on the bottle. That was designed for human consumption.

You can do more than one round if you want but, if given the right amount for the size of the dog (1/2 to 3 capsules) ONCE a day for 14 days straight will cure heartworm.

For ex: my 7 lb dog was given 1/2 a capsule for 14 days.(DO NOT EXCEED 3 capsules) No red meat or pork because it will absorb the product and not work as well. Give it pref. in the late afternoon or eve.

I mixed it in a small amount (1-2 tbsp of chopped chicken) so you only have to do one round if given the right amount at the time. I tried to break it down in a earlier post of how much per size of dog, but in some cases if there are still symptoms, you will have to adjust the amount given.

eg: if you are giving one capsule for 14 days and still have symptoms, (or a positive blood test), you may have to do another run of 1 1/2 to 2 capsules per day

If you plan to do a blood test after, wait for 12 wks. then test so you do not get a false positive. You can google more on how that works and what a false positive is.

Please note that it only took one run to cure my dog. It is getting the amount right.

Make sure you get a blood test first and know your dog is positive for heartworm.

Hey Bempierre!

Thank you for your feedback. I do not have first hand experience with this product, so before posting this advice I did extensive research and read up on many others who used this product with good result.

The dosage I posted was for an 82 pound dog. If your 7 pound dog took 1/2 capsule, then an 82 pound dog would get 6 capsules a day. Breaking the dose in half - 3 capsules am and 3 capsules pm is easier on the dog/not as rapid a die off of heart worms than the full dose at one feeding; this is not my opinion, it is what others using the product have done. The company recommends the treatment schedule - I suspect to control the toxic effect of the massive die off of the worms- again - JMHO; that you had results in tailoring the schedule is helpful information for all - thank you for sharing what worked well for you and your dog :-)

Thank you so much for your post. A friend of mine from Texas is in Ohio visiting and he had rescued a dog that tested positive for heartworms. We have fought to get him treated but the vets raise the price on a daily basis to where it is outlandish. Yesterday they told us $60 and today they said $220 they are only in it for the money. Thank you. We were about to lose hope.

My great Dane was just diagnosed with heart worms. She's 11 1/2 years old I don't know if she can handle the treatment or if I can afford it! How do I do the garlic? Does it really work! ?

Bempierre & Rebecca, Sorry but you both kind of have be confused. I just finished up a 10 day treatment of 3 1/2 cap for our 95 lb dog as that is what I read on another site but yet Rebecca I see you say it would be more like 6 cap. Can either of you explain how much I should be given and for how long. I only have 22 cap left and realize I will need to purchase more but what to understand how many I need. Thank you

Hey Sarah!

The 3.5 cap 2x day sounds right for the research I have done on this product, but since you are a client /have purchased this product directly from the company, why don't you call them directly and ask for clarification on the dose? As a client you are entitled to this support and I know we would all like to have an answer "straight from the horses mouth".

Please read up on heart worm and supportive care if you wish to treat your dog for heart worm:

http://www.homesforpets.org/heartworm_aftercare.pdf

https://www.google.com/#q=what+happens+during+heartworm+treatment

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=610

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/canine-heartworm.html

My dog has heartworms and am worried she is going to die on me. So I want to give her garlic but can I boil it t or do I have to give it to her whole or chopped?

I am about to order VRM2-sm made by Bio Challenge, but in the meantime am giving my dog black walnut hull tincture. Like the garlic, it kills worms, plus other parasites. It cured my cats of an ailment none of the vets could figure out (sadly two kitties died before the cure was found) and it will help you until can get the VRM2-sm.
Good luck to you :-)

I am not a vet, just a very educated pet parent :-)

I've got two dogs with heart worms and can't afford a vet. Is it likely if I give them garlic they'll be fine?

How much garlic? My service dog just got diagnosed.

I read on this site to give a dog 1 crushed up clove of fresh garlic in their food per day, or buy a bottle of garlic tablets or capsules and give them one per day of that.

My 55 pound dog has early stage of heartworms. I'd like to try treating this 1 year old dog with VRM2-sm. Reading all these comment I never see a formula for figuring out the correct dosage per pound of dog. So with that what is the formula or how many tablets does a 55 pound dog need per day for the 10 day on times and 5 days off times four cycle treatments?

Hello Lee!

Given that the advice on VRM2 is confusing, and feedback from direct users is often delayed, why don't you call the manufacturer directly and pose your questions? While there are a few retailers for the product, the manufacturer is Systemic Formulas

1-800-445-4647

Good luck and please report back - I am sure many would appreciate the answer you find to your question.

My 12 year dog been coughing and spitting. I have. been giving him garlic gel tablets twice a day. He is still coughing . What do you advise? Thank you.

I would try adding colloidal silver to his water. I give my large dog large amounts when he is sick. A few Tablespoons several time a day. (I have a Colloidal sliver generator and make my own.)

I have also used Mullein/Hyssop/Comfrey tea for animals with coughing. (Calves, to be exact.) It helped them a lot! You may have trouble finding all of those herbs, but even just the mullein would be helpful. Most health food stores would have it in tea bags. I would give it several times a day, a cup worth each time for a large dog. (It is mild tasting enough that it could be used in place of water. If you want to use the colloidal silver, just add it to the mullein tea.)

I hope he feels better soon!

~Mama to Many~

Hello Tammy,

My best advice to you is to take your dog to the vet and get a diagnosis. Once you know *why* your dog is coughing you can then find an appropriate remedy. Your dog may be coughing due to heart worms, or congestive heart failure - two very different conditions that require different treatments and home remedies. It is best to find out why he is coughing and then search out the remedy. JMHO!

I wish that I would have seen these posts when they were new, but I was never alerted when anyone replied to one of my comments. I am writing now so that other people can understand a bit better on the VRM2. When giving to your dog, I would not exceed 3 capsules a day. I was giving an example when I said my 7 pound dog was cured with 1/2 a capsule a day for the 14 days. You would not use that 7 divided into the weight of your dog. The max for a adult human a day is 2 to 3 capsules, so keep that in mind when you decide how much to give you dog. If the dog is 50Lbs I would give 1 to 2 capsules depending how advanced the heart worm.

Thank you Brenda!

I have done searching to find what has worked for others [there are forums and threads out there but to respect EC's policy I will not link them or drive traffic to another community ] and the dosage is different than what worked for you. Can you tell me when you were advise to do 10 days only what this was based on? The bottle does say 1-3 capsules for a human but does recommend cycling the treatment. And because it does kill the worms I cannot agree with you maintaining activity level rather than reducing it. I think that anyone choosing to use this product needs to do their own homework and research to arrive at their own conclusion as to what is best for their particular pet.

Did the garlic cure your dog? I am from Houston and the mosquitoes are awful!!

This is amazing!! My friend's dog has the infestation, but not heartworm disease yet. What type of garlic did you give. Raw, and how much? Thank you..

Hello, can you please tell me where I can order the vrm2? I have a 60 lb pittie that I received with hw+

And I need to get some ASAP. Thank you

Hello Donna,

It is made by Systemic Formulas - try googling to see if there is a vendor near you.

Hi, how much garlic do you give to your dog? I have a old English sheep dog who weighs about 70kg or about 10 stone. Thank you for any help

I pray this works for my cat. I have been giving him garlic juice every morning for a month and a half. He looks and acts much better than he did before. I just pray my consistency has eliminated the heartworm. I love my little guy so much!

I rescued a labrabull 3 yrs ago off the street..took him to the vet last year to have multiple tests done on him and he has heart worms and dermatitis...I cannot afford the treatments for either one, so was looking for natural treatments I can do at home. coconut oil has been helping with the dermatitis, now looking to get rid of the worms, but I dont know how long he has had them, will crushed garlic really work???

Hi Theresa, has there been any final agreement on how much and how often to use the VRM-2 for heartworm positive dogs?

Mine is 9 years old and weighs 103 pounds last vet weighing. I've been using Bandit's Buddies program but am weary of the expense and multiple capsules I have to mix into her raw food every day although it is a lot less expensive than the the vet method and doesn't damage her health like the vet method as well as the fact that she can exercise on the BB protocol. She has been difficult to clear because of the fact that we live in mosquito central and she has a genetic immune problem that will eventually kill her called degenerative myelopathy. So I am hoping for something simpler as I have enough to deal with trying to help her fight the DM.

Thanks!

Hey Angela,

You will need to read through the threads and determine for yourself what dose you think is appropriate. That said, you might also get effective and inexpensive treatment by googling "ivermectin dosage for heartworm positive dogs" and also read up:

https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/11/22/cheaper-safer-therapy-for-heartworm.aspx

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do!

Hey John!

Given your financial constraints, the only thing I would try to add would be tincture of Black Walnut and Wormwood - https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/heartworm.html#BLACKWALNUTGARLIC

You describe a sudden onset of symptoms; are you sure its heartworms? You might try locating a rescue or contacting a shelter to see if any funds are available to you for a conclusive diagnosis; heartworm "snap" tests are commonly available and considered very reliable and when purchased in bulk as rescues and shelters often do, are relatively inexpensive [$50.00 or under].

John, your dog most likely has a case of bad heartworms. I have been passionate about this subject ever since my dog got diagnosed about 2 weeks ago. I came across this site, just like you & many others, to find a less expensive alternative. If I were you I would order VRM2-sm from Bio Challenge. It's only $24. My dog is on day 6 and I've already seen a difference. If you read further down you will find other people too who have chosen the VRM2 route and saw major improvements to the point of actually getting a negative heartworm test later down the road! Read further down in this forum and you'll see!!

Thank You for the information! I just ordered the VRM2 and will give it to him as soon as it gets here. But how much do I give him? He weighs 75 lbs. Should I just sprinkle it in his food, Or give him a whole pill?

John, I am treating my golden retriever now as well on VRM2. For a dog that size, give him 3 pills and sprinkle on cooked vegetables or a little chicken. my dog loves green beans, so I give him some with a little of the juice in the can, and sprinkle it on it and he eats it up. Just make sure you don't use red meat. Hope he's doing fine. :)

Hello,

I just ordered the VRM2 for my dog, he is 15lbs and has had the cough for a while. He has occasional fainting spells and within the last day or so, his belly has looked a bit puffed out. How much would I give him each day for his size and for how long?

Thank you for any help...

I am all for natural remedies and cures, whatever diet your dog can tolerate that is the most natural etc, but please don't stop giving your dog heartworm preventative, if you've ever seen a dog with heart worm, or had to treat a dog with heart worm, the treatment is TOXIC, and the prognosis is always guarded, much more toxic than the monthly dose of preventative, there are very few areas that don't have heartworm, and if you live in the South it's endemic. I live in NYC and we barely have any here, but I still give my dog heartworm preventative in the summer months.

I have a Bishon Frise who gets extremely sick after taking Interceptor, a heartworm medication. His vomit contains small blood clots and he will be sick for days. He also becomes itchy with hot spots. I stopped all heartworm meds in November of 2011 and all symptoms ceased. What is VCO? And how is it used? I will definitely use garlic, but how much and how often do I give the garlic? Are there directories to help me locate a Holistic vet?

I have been advised by the homeopathic person I am working with to never use heartworm meds. She has advised me to use pure co-Q-10 every day to protect my dogs heart. She works strictly with animals and said she has never had a dog come down with heartworm using this. Just thought I would pass that on. My dog is a Lab/Newfoundland mix and weighs 100 lbs. I give her one pill a day. I guess I can't give the name brand but perhaps if you google CoQ10 Food Complex you will find it.

Thank you for the information. What milligram dosage of CoQ10 do I give him my german shepard mix? He is 75 lbs. And has been having severe reactions to heartworm (invermectin) and flea (comfortis) meds. I have spent $100's of dollars trying to find out what was wrong with him and have narrowed it down myself to this being the cause! Thanks again!

One 100mg capsule a day of pure co-Q-10. I don't know if they will let me say the brand, but I was told New Chapter Co-Q-10 was the best. That doesn't have 100mg listed because it's food grown or something.. but if you get that brand, just one capsule a day.

What is VCO?

Hi I just read a very informative message..but she states she used VCO? what is this? My 8 year old has been couhing so I want to try anythin homeopathic first.. Thank you!

Pease give me the recipe for the spray for heartworm.

Zelda, there is no spray mentioned here that cures a heartworm infection. The only spray mentioned is to repel the mosquitoes that bite the dog and infect him with the heartworms and that is no guarantee that a mosquito won't bite. If your dog has been diagnosed with heartworms then to tell you what I and some others here have been using on our dogs is all I can do because I am not a veterinarian. I looked up the Bandit's Buddies heartworm program and ordered all the supplements from theherbsplace dot com. They tell there how to use the program. If you sign up for the Nature's Sunshine membership there you will get reduced shipping and other stuff for doing so. If I knew how to have you go through me to do it I would get something from it but I don't know how to do that yet. Now to tell you what some others mentioned here that has also helped their dogs is they use VRM2-sm which is made by Systemic Formulas. Theresa has posted their phone number earlier in these posts as you don't use the protocol with it that is on the bottle for humans but by calling them you can find out what the protocol is for your dogs age and weight. Apparently using one or the other methods also eliminates the need for using heartworm prevention meds from the vet but you will have to read/research how to change from treating the infection to a maintenance/prevention dose once the dog tests as cured as I don't have that info yet. It also helps to feed dogs some raw garlic every day. There is a myth out there that garlic is dangerous for dogs which is not true although onions ARE very dangerous for dogs. The dangerous ingredient in onions is greatly reduced in garlic and has never hurt any of my dogs in over 40 years. Again I am not a veterinarian and so I can't tell you what to do but if you read everything on this site about heartworms you will know a lot.

Hey Barbara!

If you are having such a good experience with Banfield, why not go back and ask for a heartworm SNAP test? They run around $50.00 and will give you results in 15 minutes. That isn't a big price to pay for peace of mind.

Please check out EC's page on heartworm and read about VRM2:

https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/heartworm2.html#VRM2

Also read up on all the information there as treating heartworm is a serious undertaking that requires calm and crate rest for an extended period of time.

Cancer cannot survive in an alkaline enviroment. I put one drop of citrus lemon oil in my dogs water dish everytime I wash it and refill it. Just like with humans lemon oil in water helps to maintain blood pH on the alkaline side. It also purifies the water and misquetos do not use the water to lay eggs. I also put a teaspoon of coconut oil on a small plate and let the dogs like it up. This boosts their immune system as well as killing viruses, bacteria, fungus and mold. to read more email me at [email protected].

I use Wormwood combination and Diatomaceous Earth for my dogs. Helps with heartworms too. I put the D.E. , a t Bsp. In their food every day, gets rid of parasites! I have one dog who needs his "wormwood" everyday or he starts getting sick, I use just one capsule for him in his morning feed and he is a fairly large dog, part shepherd, part Rottie. I have cats also and use the D.E. in their wet food too. Hope this helps>

The DE is great stuff, but will not work for heartworms because they are in the circulatory system and not the intestines.

I agree with all hear who have posted about going the alternative route. I am using HWF for my dog who is a cocker spaniel mix.

She was diagnosed with heartworms when I took her in to find out why she was coughing. She was also somewhat reluctant to eat. I did not have her on a preventative*. Then the vet urged me to go the usual route, three shots a month apart, strict rest, carry her out to urinate/defecate, etc. I told her I would rather go the alternative route as I generally prefer holistic treatment. We compromised on a steroid shot for relief from her coughing and a round of antibiotic, plus the holistic treatment with a six month check for heartworms.

I learned from research that there is a bacteria host with the heartworms. So, working with our vet, I have given my dog a round of 30 days on Doxycycline. The antibiotic (which is a tetracycline) basically destroys the eggs and larvae. The adult worms are sterilized from the treatment. So now I am left with a dog with adult worms in her.

The HWF is a mixture of black seed, hawthorne, sorrel, licorice, garlic, hops, apricot pits, grapefruit seed extract, and flavoring. Its a liquid that I drop onto bread. She eats it without problem. (She loves bread! ) It is made by Ambertech. It was developed as an alternative to the harsh vet treatment. It does not contain the wormwood or black walnut because some dog breeds are sensitive/allergic to those ingredients.

Like all of you posting here, I am hoping she is being successfully treated and the heartworms are dying off. The danger is stroke or heart attack when the worms die off. Remember, the worms are in the arteries/veins, not the intestines. So, the decomposing worms are eliminated through the kidneys. So, do not let your dog go for long walks or chasing after critters. Keep him/her somewhat quiet.

Herbs and supplements helping the kidneys, heart and respiratory system are all good here. You just need to use common sense and consistent thoughtful treatment.

This is what I am doing. So far, so good. We are about a month into it and she seems better. I'll be happy to post more as we go along if anyone is interested in her progress.

*As it turns out, there is really no preventative because if they are bitten by an infected mosquito, they are bitten, the mosquito does not discriminate between a dog on preventative or not. I believe garlic and/or brewers yeast would be a better choice for prevention. A mosquito does not like the smell that a person or any other animal puts off when they have ingested either one of those. No guarantees for anyone here, but I know from personal experience that brewers yeast kept me from being bitten by black flies on a canoe trip I took many years ago. My fellow canoeist was being eaten alive, I was never touched. She was furious that they were attacking her. I had been on a health kick with the brewers yeast. After some research, I found it was a natural deterrent.

Hey Jean!

Please do keep us updated on your dog's heartworm condition.

And you may wish to google VRM2 - folks have reported great results with this herbal formulation.

Hi Theresa, Thanks for reaffirming the belief in VRM2. I ordered 2 bottles for my dog and switched her to the VRM2. She just completed a 10 day cycle yesterday. She seems to be about the same as with the HWF treatment. It does seem as if the VRM2 is a bit stronger though. It is soooo hard to be patient here.

I am following this regime while on the 10 day cycle. She gets 1/2 capsule of the VRM2,1/2 capsule of hawthorne berry and 1/2 capsule of yucca. Then she also gets one to two capsules of serrapeptase. The yucca has been mentioned as a holistic steroid for canines. The serrapeptase helps clean up the blood, slightly thinning it and helps clear out any dying, dead worms. I believe the serrapeptase helps greatly with reducing her coughing. She is also on a kidney support tincture. She is about 25 pounds.

I do believe this is a gradual process. It sure beats what the vet advocates. I intend on doing at least one more round of the VRM2 after four more days. The scariest part of this is you can never be certain that it is working. I am using her responses to gauge what is going on. She does seem to have her usual energy, alertness, and interest in normal activities. I believe keeping observant and watching out for coughing is the best way to know how she is doing. I increase the serrapeptase if I think she is coughing too much. I will take her in to be tested in another month or two. The vet agreed to test her at four months after treatment.

I will post again after the test. Thanks again, everyone who has posted. It sure helps to read what everyone says.

Hey Jean!

Please do keep us posted on your results! I do want to mention that everything that I have read from the company on this product is that it must be done for 4-6 cycles [some insist on 6] to completely clear the infection out.

Another update on our dog. She had a breathing incident a few weeks ago. She started panting hard and was lethargic. We picked her up and rushed her into the vet. Many dollars and hours later we came and got her. She was put on oxygen, given a prednisone shot, a chest xray, another heartworm test and a complete blood test. She did not have a heart attack or a stroke. Her lungs were clear and her heart normal. The xrays showed her pulmonary artery was still enlarged and her heart was just starting to enlarge somewhat. Her heartworm test was still positive.

This past week she went to a holistic vet in our area. She is now on Cellfood, two homeopathic medicines, wobenzyme-n, and a few other things. I think these new supplements are helping her enormously. She seems so much better. Her coughing is now about gone and her energy is getting better as well. We go back to our holistic vet in another 3 weeks. I feel she is going to finally recover from this. I'll post again if there is more to learn here. Thanks for all the support and good info earthclinic posters!

An update

Apparently, she has had a bad case of heartworm. She is currently taking daily: hawthorn to keep her heart strong, chloroxygen to help increase oxygen levels, about 100 mg. of vitamin C and kidney rejuvenator to help her urinary system. She also takes dessicated liver capsule once a week. Then twice a month she gets a half dose of Ivermectin, about 5 mg of prednisone and doxycycline for about two days before through two days after the Ivermectin day. I know this is not the pure holistic way of dealing with this. But, since we have been using the somewhat lowered dose of Ivermectin with the prednisone, we have been able to keep on top of the heartworm load and not have to restrict her quite as much. This will likely be a slower road to rid her of this. But the strictly holistic road just was not working. She is much better and is coughing much less. I have had many discussions with my vets (both the holistic vet and the conventional vet) over this and we are all in a better place with this protocol.

Hey Jholl!

Thank you for this amazing update! KUDOS to you for finding the combination of remedies both conventional and alternative that work for YOU and your DOG. There is NO one right way, and if both wholistic and western approaches are what it takes to heal your dog, I applaud you for finding what works for YOU.

Please keep us posted!!

Hi Jean, I see your post was a long time ago, but I'm curious to know how this heartworm treatment worked for your pup?

My boy Baxter just got diagnosed on a snap test. We're waiting for more results back from the lab by tomorrow. We just switched to a homeopathic/holistic vet. Last year, we used a conventional vet. We got a positive result on his snap test then, but when his blood was sent to the lab, it was negative. I'm very nervous & seeking out non-invasive natural remedies.

I truly hope all is well with you & your furbaby. Would love to hear some updates.

Sincerely, Anne

Hey Denise!

Short answer: NO.

Wolbachia are bacteria that are essential for the microfilaria -hearworm larvae - to survive. Doxycycline would kill these bacteria as an effort to kill the developing microfilaria. Since VRM2 is killing the microfilaria, there is no need to dose Doxycyline, ie it would be over kill and introducing an antibiotic would only serve to knock the healthy bacteria in the gut out of balance.

Thank you for the information! My 15 year old lab/chow mix was diagnosed with advanced heart worm. She walks a little ways.. Then gets "dizzy" and falls over. She has to lay there on her side while she catches her breath, and then she will ease on over to me. She has had loss of bladder control and the vet has all but said "she has no options". It isnt as though she is in any pain, she just always seems tired. I am glad I came upon this site, as I will be bringing her home to give her love and natural cures, rather than a shot to "end her suffering". I hope it works for her. I realize she is old for a dog, but in my eyes, she is still my best friend.

I am SO glad I found this discussion and this site. I will be following the black walnut, etc. Regimen as laid out here for my 95# lab, but I have one question: he has chronic colitis, and I have him on probiotics and digestive enzymes. Will this affect or contraindicate in any way the black walnut regimen?

BOOPS: What a great post! Thank you for putting all that info up! I've been using herbs my whole life and I love to hear uses for dogs. I have two boxers. Our youngest (1yr 1/2) has had some weight issues since he was born. I've been trying different things but I'm about to start a black walnut hull regimine this month. Your dosage info was just what I needed, most of the time the suggested amounts are vague and I hate to estimate with such a broad amount. I never thought of the artemisia! I'm so excited about your results and I can't wait to try it.

I recently had the worst vet experience this week. My boxer (same one) tore/broke his dewclaw and had to have emergency surgery to have them removed. It was hard for me and stressful. The worst part was the vet only cared about lecturing me on my practices of using herbal treatments on my dog. Both my dogs are on great diets-never table food, raw and organic kibble and same for the treats. Well the vet told me I'm basically feeding my dog twinkies! She scolded me on how terrible a raw diet is and everything. I really believe she isn't educated enough because she kept contradicting herself the whole time. She didn't even update me on how my dogs stitches were healing, she kept dodging my questions and focusing on his diet. It was awful and I will never go back. But thank you for your post I really found it to be helpful and just wanted you to know that!

To Kaley, Your Vet said you were feeding TWINKIES?! ? OMG! I could understand that IF you were feeding Purina, Old Roy, Alpo or some such garbage as that. INCREDIBLE! Glad to hear you won't be putting any more $$$$ in this Vet's pocket.

Just making sure I understand the dosing. Three Artemisia pills in the morning and at night for a total of six pills a day for a 31-35 lb canine. Correct? Thanks

I too am confused about the artesemia dosage. Is it 2 pills in the morning and 2 at night or 1 in the morning and 1 at night for a 20 pound dog?

Is it 2 artesima capsules in the morning and 2 more at night totaling 4> or one in the morning and 1 at night totaling 2?