Heartworm Treatment and Home Remedies for Pets

They were probably roundworms, the most common intestinal worms found in dogs. As for all the hype about garlic for dogs, I've been giving mine garlic (either fresh crushed or powder-NEVER the salt) for years for just that purpose:natural deworming. I haven't seen an intestinal worm in years. It's just like with everything else: Anything (edible) taken in good measure won't hurt you. One clove for about a 50lb dog will not hurt. I would definitely keep it up, as the mosquitos are coming. We both live in TX and know what that means. All the best and thanks for sharing!

Check out www.naturalrearing.com, they may have a natural alternative or can direct you to a good vet. You can call them for information.

Your dog needs some restorative health measures to heal the damage done by the heartworms. Give your dog some CQ10 a few times a week and put your dog on a quality raw food diet. Be careful with raw food. It needs to be nutrionally complete with vegetables and must have the right fat and protein balance to be most beneficial.

Grandually begin an exercise routine that will start to build the heart muscles back. Good luck to you and your sweet dog.

Hello! I have a 7 year old Lhasa Apso/Shih Tzu mix breed dog that tested positive for adult heartworms 4 days ago. He hasn't shown any symptoms but treatment was $1000 which is out of my budget! I found this site and I've ordered the VRM 2. I also read that I should get some Bio Function H and Bio Function K. My dog is 16.6 pounds. What would be the recommended dosage of these products and the duration? Also, do I need to get him anything else? I just don't want my Cooper to die!

Hey Raye,

Your best bet is to go straight to the horses mouth; their product, they are the experts. Please report back!

The VRM2 recommendation for heartworm in dogs, can it also be used for cats?

This is now 2023, the last post on vrm2 was in 2017. I called today and the company does not give out any information regarding the use of vrm2 with pups, in no uncertain terms. I would like to know what number the posters who say they talked to them called and who they spoke to to try to get in touch with them

Giving 6 pills a day was way extreme. The treatment for dogs is a 14 day cycle (one time only) And not to exceed 3 capsules in one day. A 60 lb dog should have been good on 2 capsules. Preferably given in the eve in a small amount of food (like a tablespoon of wet chicken base dog food ) no red meat, or pork. This includes sandwich meats. These meats are known to absorb the product.

Where can I find info re/ 14 day cycle? I spoke to VRM2 people and they suggested 3 cycles 10 days/5 days off with 2 pills daily (my dog is 41 lbs). Thanks in advance. I am glad I found this site with people sharing their experience.

Honey can u plz tell me what vrm2 is and where I can get it? I have a senior dog I rescued and he has the heart worms he started the coughing so I took him into the vet they want alot of money to pretty much almost kill the old man and I know he has several years left he is such a good boy and I would hate to loose him so early and have his life cut short if there is something I can do to help him

I just purchased the vrm2 to rid my dog of heartworm. She weighs about 15 lbs. How much should I give her?

Faye, I am having the same issue with my senior pitbull mix. This summer, she had developed the characteristic cough and had become very, very lethargic. Took her to the vet and she tested positive for heartworms. I started her on VRM2 (3 per day) on July 20. Within 3 days she was running, playing, jumping everywhere again. That stuff is incredible! We completed 4 rounds of it (10 days on, 5 days off). I also want to thank Brenda in CA for her info/help on this forum as well! She is exceptional.

Our sweet Gretchen has now (since early October) developed abdominal swelling, and I'm guessing it's from the damage the worms had already done to her heart...I wish I had supplemented with Hawthorne, CoQ10, or some Traditional Chinese Medicine Heart/Lung Qi supplements. A vet told me they could drain the fluid, but it would come back even worse than before. She is still ravenously eating and drinking. Still playing and exploring - just a little slower because of the increased weight/fluid. I'm sorry to hear your Lasix wasn't successful. Have you tried any other herbs successfully? Is there anything out there that actually REPAIRS and strengthens damaged heart muscle?

Hey Ginny!

I am so happy that you are getting results with the VRM2!

I do have to respectfully clarify the results you are seeing; heartworms do NOT come out of the GI tract - you are likely looking at another type of worm that has infested your dog's intestines. Hearworms when killed off stay in the bloodstream and slowly break up and are filtered out by the lungs and other organs. For this reason it is helpful to provide liver and kidney support and to keep your dog on very limited exercise/stay on crate rest as the heartworms dissolve and are filtered out by the lungs.

Oh my goodness - thank you for clarifying that for me. This is my first experience with heart worms so I just assumed that's what they were.

This sounds like a promising solution! Did you ever follow up with the vet?

I have 2 pugs that just tested positive for heartworm. One is 19lbs and the other is 24lbs. Can you please tell me the dosage of VRM2 that I need to give them and for how long? Thank You! Jill Johnson

Hey Jill!

I strongly encourage you to speak directly with the company that sells this product for product dosing information, and to report back to the forum and let us know what dose worked for you.

That said, from the various posts on the topic for dosing:

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 dosing VRM2 of 10 days on, 5 days off. A bottle holds 30 capsules - and the bottle also says to adjust for weight, so *maybe* 1 capsule to 1-1/2 capsule for the 14 pound dog and 1-1/2 to 2 capsules for the 24 pound dog [again, please check with the company that sells you this product as they do provide customer service]. Dose half the total dose for each dog am and pm - on an empty stomach is ideal. So you are looking at a treatment regime of pills for 10 days, then off for 5 - and 6 cycles is recommended schedule; be sure you order enough to accommodate this schedule for both dogs. 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

Theresa

All, I used 2 rounds of the VRM2 with my dog. How long do I wait before giving her another test and if it still shows positive, do I do another round? Is there anyone on here who has had recent success with the VRM2?

I'm considering the method of giving her the antibiotic for 30 days, then 2 Heartguard pills a month for 6 months, with one more 30 day round of the antibiotic the 3rd month.

She has a slight cough but no other symptoms and she's been on Heart worm preventative her whole life. They offered to pay for the treatment but of course that's the arsenic and I don't want to do that. So my questions are:

1) Anyone used the VRM2 but had to do more than one treatment?

2) Opinion of the other above method?

3) When to test again?

Thank you!

Hi Ginny, I'm sure your vet explained this to you, but just for the clarification of anyone who comes across this. Anything coming from the anus of your dog is coming from the digestive system. Heartworms live in the blood, the circulatory system, and not the digestive. VRM-2 is excellent at killing many types of parasites, and will kill digestive parasites as well, but those you see are not heartworm. But you should take this as a warning sign that worms are dying, and if your beloved pup has tested hw positive, you need to severely restrict their activity.

Heartworms swim against the current, when they die they wash away with the current. Not a problem when they die one at a time, but a large die off can clog arteries and can be deadly if the dogs activity is not severely restricted. VRM2 saved my dogs life, but I kept her quiet and mostly crated for a couple weeks, as recommended by all vets, traditional as well as natural, so the worms could slowly make the way through her system and be dissolved.

I know I am commenting in here months after, but have not been in here in a long time. I am glad that everyone is getting good results with VRM2 and that is what I hoped when I originally posted about it. So safe, simple, and reasonable! That being said, I want to clarify a few things that I was told and did from the original source.

1) do not go by the instructions on the bottle, run it for 14 days straight. The dose can be from a 1/2 a cap up to 3 caps a day depending on the weight of the dog. A heart support is recommended like Q10 or anything a health store can recommend that is safe for dogs.

2) You don't have to restrict your dog from playing and being their normal self because the VRM2 is killing the worm slowly and the body is naturally breaking it down. I would not over exercise your dog though. You will see within a few days how they perk up and have more energy.

3) VRM2 kills other parasites as well like roundworm, hookworm etc., not just heart worm.

4) If you are getting a blood test after treatment, 3 to 6 months is recommended. If done before, it can result in a false positive. I have to say that I am just loving the positive and good results people are having and the animals that are being saved from a painful death. Yea!

I am sorry, but that information is not true for dogs. I was the first person to bring this product here to the forum. I have not been in here much at all since and I see that people are doing it according to the bottle and it should be for 14 days, not the 10 days on and 5 off etc. I am concerned that doing it according to the bottle may be too much for a dog. The company does not know the animal dosage because that is not their expertise.

When I first fell upon it by accident in Texas at a health store, I was instructed to give my small dog of 7 lbs - 1/2 a cap a day for 14 days. That is it. I also was given a heart support for her because she was so advanced. This treatment cured her. I feel you can give up to 3 capsules a day depending on the size and weight of the dog, but for 14 days only.

Correct. Heartworms are in the bloodstream, which is why they end up in the lungs and do damage to the heart. You will never see a dog eliminate heartworms via the intestinal tract (pooping or vomiting). Must be an intestinal parasite you're seeing.

Hi, I just received my VRM2 in the mail. I have been reading nonstop since my dog Otis (90 lb pit) was diagnosed with heartworm, I have been giving him a clove of garlic in the morning and in the evening, along with 100mg of CoQ10, and fish oil. My question is how much of the VRM2 should I give him and do I need to wait until he finishes his antibiotic from the vet before he starts it? I believe he gets 3per day for 14 days, while continuing the other vitamins.

Just rescued a dog, she tested heart worm positive (don't know the stage yet, tomorrow is an x-ray), have been reading franticly trying to find natural alternative that works, looking into amber technology (HWF) and effective dog wellness (anyone tried it?). Looks like VRM 2 (don't know what it is) works?

So, your dog was cured after 14 days of VMR2? Do you give antibiotic prior to VMR2?

Hi I'm so happy to have found this forum. My 6 year old westie had a positive snap test 1 year ago but when the vet sent out for additional blood tests it came back negative. This year (now 1 year later)both the snap and the additional tests were positive. The microfilia however was negative. I also had an ultra sound and the vet saw no worms, He did think we should treat with the slow kill method because her oxygen levels were low after exercise and that "could very well" be from heartworms that he couldn't see. I'm just tired of every test we do having a disclaimer of accuracy. Anyway she is on the 1 month of doxy which is usually administered prior to the immiticide treatment. I really don't want to do that treatment and I KNOW she doesn't have a huge wormload because of the ultra sound.

I guess my question is should I start the vrm2 now while she is still on the doxy? Or wait till the doxy is done in 2 weeks??? Thanks in advance

Hello Maryellen,

Opinions will vary on whether to treat now or wait for 2 weeks for the doxy regime to conclude. Read up for ideas on how you would like to proceed:

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

And since you are working with a vet in treating your dog's heartworm, please consider bringing this question to your vet, along with discussing using the VRM2 in lieu of the Immiticide.

I would wait for a few days after treating with antibiotics, since they also suppose to kill worms, maybe 5-7 days?

With my dog I started with Vi-Bactra Plus (natural antibiotic for 7 days, had 5 day break and now I am on a first round of VRM2 (today, as amateur of fact day 10), I also give her HSII and CQ10 for hear support, and garlic once a day, now I'll stop VRM2 for 5 days, but will continue on heart support and will add kidney support. I believe (not 100 % sure) that she is panting less now (she was really panting hard at night and early morning, but last few days she hardly panting at all- and it maybe because she feels comfortable now in our home (she has been with us just 32 days! )- or maybe he feels better because of VRM2.

I'll definitely will post result and rwrite more as tweatment progress

P.S. I did talk to a person- Bill -at Systemic formulas and he suggested that I do 3 10 day rounds and give my dog 2 capsules a day with meals - my dog is 41 lbs)

Thank you Irina for sharing your experience with VRM2! The dosing info straight from the company is much appreciated. Please for sure update your progress here as many will be watching and rooting for you!

Would like to know how your fur baby is doing now and if the heart worm test was negative next time you had her tested. Thank you for sharing your story.

We finished 3 rounds of VRM2 on Sept. 5, now

I am continuing giving her garlic, once daily, plus HSSII (heart support) and also I give her Chinese formula Kidney support (will post the name later- It is recommended by Cheryl Schwartz in the book Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to chines Medicine for Cats and Dogs. And this week I also started to add some turmeric once a day (just a dash) plus (after reading on earthclinic page) serrapeptase.

As it is now, I am not sure whether she got more energy or she started to feel at home (we got her less than 3 months ago, someone dumped her in our village): she is running around now, even jumping and try to play with other dogs. At first (till recently) she was mainly lying down.

I'll do test beginning of December and will report. I also appreciate if anyone sees the report re. results of other protocols and draw my attention.

I really hope that treatment works!

Having worked as a vet tech for almost 20 years now you will NOT see heartworms. Those you saw are intestinal (stomach) worms. Heartworms stay in the heart & dissolve. Sometimes the vets get a bad batch of tests.

Lisbeth, What do you mean? If Knot test is done for heart worms - it will be not an indication? and heart worms can be seen in ultrasound too. Do you have a different experience? would you share, please. Thanks.

VRM2 didn't clear heart worms, at least not 3 months after the treatment, I completed VRM2 protocol in September and tested the dog beginning of December, the test came positive. Maybe it takes longer, I am not sure. But now- after almost 4 month break from treatment, I am starting my dog on homeopathic protocol of Dr. Wessner. I hope it works.

Brenda, thank you for clarifying the amount of time to take VRM2. The reason I found this forum is some devastating news I just received about a little Chihuahua that our organization (Texas Animal Guardians) pulled from the San Antonio animal shelter in February. Frankie was on the euthanasia list. I knew he was heartworm positive but I would never turn away a dog just because it's heartworm positive. Frankie is a small, 7 lb. Chihuahua mix, estimated to be only 2 years old. He was really sick though, urinating orange looking urine, emaciated and weak. I took him to our vet in San Marcos, she placed him on antibiotics with a "wait and see" about the heartworm treatment. He gained weight and perked up really nicely, he even started running around and playing. But his blood work continued to have a higher than normal platelet count, the rest of his blood work appeared "normal". She didn't want to start treatments until we got his platelet count down. Each month, at the time of his heartworm preventative (an ivermectin based pill such as Heartgard), he'd get ill. It would last maybe a week or so, then he'd perk back up again. Then just recently (after his July preventative) he got ill again. This time he didn't perk up. I took him to the vet again. They arranged for an ultrasound and we discovered to our horror that the little guy is in stage 4/5 of heartworm disease.

Let me state that this is a foster I have grown to love. I talked my husband into adopting him and we did, despite the fact that he's ill. We are willing to have the heart surgery done at Texas A & M, where they go in and remove each worm individually, BUT the vet says it's not going to do any good because the worms are in his liver too. I've been desperate! I searched the internet and came upon this forum. I just ordered the VRM2 from Northstar Chiropractic Natural Wellness Center in Illinois. (The product is no longer available on Amazon.)

What Brenda says is true, VRM2 is manufactured for humans, not animals. So it makes perfect sense that the course of treatment for dogs wouldn't be what's prescribed on the bottle. The bottle instructions are for humans, not dogs. In fact, VRM2 isn't intended to be used as a heartworm treatment.

Instead it's intended to treat internal parasites found in the human body. So, I appreciate you clarifying this Brenda for everyone that lands on this discussion thread. Frankie is now home. He's not eating yet but hopefully his appetite will increase now that he's back home. He's on Lasix, Doxycycline and on Metronidazole for the diarrhea he's experiencing (hopefully it's stress only related and not due to Giardia). I wish to goodness it were still available on Amazon since I have the Prime membership. I am anxious to get this started for Frankie's sake. I also ordered the kidney and heart support from the same company that you suggested.

Thank you for posting this remedy Brenda and sharing it with the rest of us. I will remain hopeful and I will certainly update the results as soon as I have something to report.

You also can call VRM2 people and they will recommend you a dose, good luck. I am still trying to cure my dog of heart worms, it has been a year, I am trying different protocols, in June she is was heart worm positive.

What stage of HW disease is your dog in?

I read that heartworms do not come out of a dog's poop. I'm wondering could that have been tapeworms?

Hey June!

Sorry to hear about your dog's heartworm infection :-(

Please read up on heartworm as you continue treating your dog:

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

When you treat for heartworm, what you are actually doing is killing the worms in the heart and the microfilaria in the bloodstream. When the adult worms in the heart die, they break into pieces and they only place they can go is downstream, into the lungs where they eventually get absorbed. The coughing and panting is the result of the worms dying and getting 'filtered out' of the bloodstream by the lungs. The coughing [most likely] is from the build up of the dead worms in the lung tissue that have yet to be absorbed, and the panting [most likely] is from the pain or discomfort from this process.

Dogs undergoing heartworm treatment should be kept as calm as possible and strict crate rest is generally prescribed. This treatment is long term - you will NOT see immediate improvement as it takes time for the worms to die off. Again, please read up on how to best support your dog during the treatment phase.

Please let us know how it goes!

Thank you Theresa from pls, so much for the feed back on the vrm. I had no idea what to expect after treatment. I just lost my buddy Lady (cocker Spaniel) of 16 years a month ago, still recovering from her loss, so when Lacey came up sick, it worries me to death, I surely don`t want to loose her to.We just got her card today reminding me she is due for her check up.The vet. is aware of her cough, I gave her a tsp. of honey and she finally stopped coughing and is resting very well.i will continue with the vrm2-sm as it seems to be a miracle treatment, i`m sooo glad I found this site. Thank you again for caring.

Hi, I can't get my dog to eat food with VRM2 on it. Any suggestions?

Hey Deb!

If you are using the capsules and need to split a capsule, you can buy empty gel caps at the drugstore; pour the powder into a gel cap and then wrap in cheese or some other soft tasty food - see if that will work. If you are using the liquid you can put the liquid in a gel cap as well and dose hidden in cheese or other soft food.

Hi everyone,

So I started the VRM2 on my beloved 6 year old Dobie last night. I am giving this a try. I was told she has heartworms and has a cough when she moves about a lot. How long should it take for the cough to start improving? She is 55 lbs so how what mg and dose of garlic should I be giving her. Also I got the CoQ10 as recommended and how much of that should I give her. It is 100 mg. I will keep everyone updated on how well it works for my friend. Also the the vet told me that she had done the snap test and that it indicated a hot case of them and recommended we would have to do the slow kill, 3 dose treatment on her. So that is what we are dealing with.

Thanks and everyone please pray that this works for my Dobie. I want her to feel better and get back to normal.

Can someone please tell me how long it takes black walnut wormwood complex to work? I gave it to him about 30 minutes ago and haven't seen anything. Thank You

Hey Bonnie!

I have no direct experience with this remedy so can only speak from the experiences I have read about on EC or researched.

The black walnut begins to work immediately, albeit it may be slowly. This is a good thing, as a rapid die off of heartworms can be deadly. Your dog should be on strict crate rest with minimal exercise. The wormwood causes the heartworms to die, and they in turn must be filtered from the blood; the lungs end up serving as part of this filtering system which can lead to difficulty breathing - so again no exercise. Recovery time depends on the severity of the infection, and your dog's ability to process the worms out of his blood.

Please google 'heartworm treatment aftercare' to study up on the road ahead of you.

Good luck!

Check "wolfcreekranch1.tripod(dot)com" for great natural remedies. Dose with daily diatomaceous earth for maintenance. Good for humans also.

Thank you, Theresa... I don't know if I'm giving him enough, I'm a bit nervous.... I have just about everything y'all mentioned here...

Saying prayers.

I've been doing garlic, black walnut hull, and wormwood. The coughing stopped but my dog won't eat and is extremly thin. What should I do?He is still breathing heavy.

I am about to start my lab mix on VRM2 and I really need to know what would be the dosage (he is 53 lbs ) and how much excercise can he have while on this medicine?

Hey Blake!

Please consult your vendor for VRM2 for dosage - and please report back as to what the maker of this product advises.

Typically dogs undergoing heartworm treatment are advised to take NO exercise and instead to observe strict crate rest, going outside to potty - and then right back to the crate.

Long Post

My 8 year old Pitt was diagnosed with Heartworms close to 9 months back. The doctor found nothing else 'wrong' with her despite the reason for the visit being persistent/constant coughing and vomiting, ergo a pretty definite diagnosis of "Heartworms".He placed her on Heartguard and not only explained the procedure of, but quoted the price for, the 'normal' treatment plan for Heartworms, which was the same as seen on thousands of internet articles, Invermectin shots in two intervals.My dog steadily worsened and we took her back to the same vet 7 times. Each time he charged us for the visit and prescribed steroids, worm medicine, more Heartguard, etc and said we needed to run more (expensive) tests. We explained we did not have the money for the tests he wanted us to pay for and asked that he please just treat her for what we KNOW she has: Heartworms. (In retrospect, had we originally done the tests it would have turned out to be less expensive than all these visits). For the last few visits he has just sent her home as if nothing is wrong. Despite her actually being progressively worse (heavier coughing, panting and continued vomiting).Today she was 'leaking' from her vulva which I believe to be a uterine infection, and panting like mad. We took her to the same vet (I am disabled and have mobility problems) and got the SAME answer. He wants to run tests and more tests. He REFUSES to treat her for what we know she has: Heartworms and my dog has spent months being clearly, utterly distressed and in my opinion will die soon because of the negligence of this veterinarian.Upon getting home I looked everywhere for a bottle of Black Walnut and Wormwood complex I knew I had somewhere and gave her something like a dropper-full with hamburger meat. She is 50 lbs though and I really do not know the dosage, so if anyone can help, I'd be grateful. Also, it has been asked before here but no one seems to reply ... which makes me feel a little sick. What is the success rate of this treatment please?

Thank you.

Hey Jaquie!

There are many who report success in treating HW+ dogs at home. Some success stories are posted on EC, some can be found with a google search. The key is time and patience, to provide internal cleansing and organ support and to drastically limit exercise. It took many months for your dog to get sick and it will take months for a slow recovery; no quick fixes with HW.

I have to wonder if you cannot locate another vet if you do not agree with this first vet. I do agree with your vet that tests really *are* needed for a correct diagnosis; did you do a snap test to confirm the heartworm, or was it diagnosed based on physical symptoms because you could not afford the $50.00 HW test? The discharge from the vulva is a great concern and could be an open pyometra which is a veterinary emergency. Have you tried to take your dog's temperature to see if she is running a fever? I agree your dog will die soon without the much needed veterinary care, but I debate that the vet has been negligent: your vet is running a business with over head and not a charity -that is fact for any vet, and diagnostic tests are the first line of defense to provide accurate treatment and to avoid a medical malpractice lawsuit. YOU are her owner - if you cannot afford proper medical care please work with rescue groups or obtain a pet medical credit account or see if your vet will work with you to help you afford the care your dog so desperately needs.

Hello Jackie I am very concerned with the symptoms of your pup. Discharge from the vulva is symptomatic of pyometra and is indeed a veterenary emergency. Is she spayed? She may pass away of septic shock if not treated immediately. Pyometra required immediate care. Please update.

Hi all- my neighbor's dog just tested postive for heartworms so I have been scrolling thru this thread. I probably need to put my dog on a preventative and will go with the artemisia daily for the first week of the month-- plus add back the garlic in her food. she already gets cayenne in her food. and I will get some coq10 for her.

What I'm really writing about though is the mixup over dosages. things that kill parasites kill parasites, at least intestinal-- for instance the wormer (fluvermal) dosage for a cat is the same as for a human. I am thinking that against heartworms it works the same way-- except of course that heartworms don't come out in poop. so if your dog is heavily infected and you give a large dose (thinking that a large dose is for a large dog) the kill-off can be dangerous to the lungs-- the dosage I believe should be calculated primarily on the degree of infestation- the heavier the infestation the milder the dose. the health, age and size of dog are important secondary considerations. does this make sense to anyone else?
gina