The heartworm got its name from the fact that this parasite actually inhabits the heart of your dog to which they can grow as long as eleven inches. In some few cases of heartworm infestation, your dog may experience breathing difficulty, persistent coughing, weakness and fatigue. However, when left untreated, your dog can develop heart failure in an extreme case of heartworm infestation

Mature heartworms create young heartworms called microfilaria. These young heartworms circulate through your dog’s bloodstream during a mosquito bite. When the mosquito bites your dog, it can ingest these tiny young heartworms that could later on infect another dog. Once the mosquito carries the young heartworms to a new dog, the parasites go through about two more growing stages under the dog’s skin, after which they enter the bloodstream through nearby veins.

After reaching your dog’s heart, these tiny heartworms remain there and make it their new home where they mature and reproduce more tiny heartworms. This cycle takes an average of six months after the original mosquito bite.

In order to diagnose the presence of heartworms, your vet checks for microfilaria in your dog’s blood. But the presence of these tiny heartworms alone may not cause any symptoms of illness.

A few of these parasites are not strong enough to cause any problem and your dog may not have to go through any kind of treatment and medication. In fact, only a small percentage of dogs in an area may become noticeably sick from heartworm. It usually requires a heavy infestation from a large number of worms for your dog to show any symptom of illness.

Once your dog show symptoms of this illness however, treatment can be rather difficult and your dog will most likely be hospitalized. The drugs used during the treatment are very toxic and harsh on your dog. For that reason, the best way of preventing heartworm infestation is through preventive measures.

Your vet will more likely prescribe certain drugs to inhibit young heartworms while they are just starting to grow under the skin. Most vets will advise you to give your dog daily doses of this medication several weeks before the mosquito season starts.

He may also advise you to continue on with the treatment until about two months after the mosquito season is over. This could mean year round in some parts of the country where the climate is always mostly warm.

Your vet may also recommend another form of treatment that is only given once a month. This treatment kills all the baby heartworms that have accumulated during that months and thereby preventing the start of infestation.

If you suddenly notice a bald spot on your dog’s coat, chances are it is not because he is getting older. Sudden hair loss in dogs as well as cats could indicate the presence of ringworm. And although your dog may catch ringworm from time to time, he may experience nothing worse than a bald spot and mild itchiness.

Ringworm creates ring-like, flaky, bald patches on your dog’s head, ears, back, nails, and paws. Although the name ringworm sounds like some sort of a curly worm, it is actually a type of fungus that is similar to athlete’s foot. Ringworm can be easily seen and looks very similar to a ripple forming when you throw a stone in a pond. The growth begins at a middle point and gradually spreads out in a ring shape. As the fungus grows in the skin cell and hair, the skin may become irritated, reddened, and thickened and the hairs may break off leaving course stubble behind.

The ringworm is contagious to humans, especially children, and other animals. The extensive spread of this parasite could indicate that your pet’s health is not doing well. Actually, it is usually the sick, stressed, and weakened ones that acquire serious infestation. Ringworm that spreads throughout the body is a very serious issue that signifies a severely low immune system.

But unless your dog has a low immune system, ringworm normally goes away on its own within one to three months. In the meantime, you may still want to relieve the itchiness and discomfort that is associated with this parasite and also reduce the odds of infection to humans and other animals.

To effectively treat ringworm, the first thing you must do is clip the hair around the area of your dog’s bare spot and up to about one half of an inch past it. You may need to have someone help you keep your dog still or preoccupied in order to prevent you from accidentally injuring the skin. Clipping the hair will reduce the chances of spreading the ringworm by confining the infection to just that area and also make for an easier application of the treatment.

Remember to carefully dispose the infected hair once you remove it, burning it if possible. Ringworm can still feed on the hair even after it is off your dog and is contagious on contact. Vacuum the area where you did the clipping to catch loose hairs. You also need to vacuum carefully and regularly if your pet has ringworm. Wash bedding, dishes, and utensils with soap and hot water and always wash your hands properly.

Heartworms are parasites that live in your dog’s heart and causes illness and severe heart problems. But a small number of this parasite does not necessarily cause illness to your dog. It usually takes a substantial amount of heartworms to affect your dog and make him sick. Therefore, prevention is the key to avoid your dog from catching heartworm infestation.

An effective way of preventing heartworm from invading your dog is to minimize his exposure to mosquitoes. This can be achieved by keeping your dog indoors at night. You can also use a chemical free insect repellent every time your dog goes outside and especially during mosquito season.

You can make your own natural insect repellent by using a mixture of eucalyptus oil and water. Rub one drop of this oil diluted in one cup of warm water over the dog’s muzzle and the area between the anus and genitals where the mosquitoes usually like to bite. Be careful when using this natural insect repellent and avoid rubbing the oil around the sensitive tissues of the eyes and mucous membranes.

Remember that one or a few heartworms in itself is not enough to cause a commotion. But a swarm of heartworms invading your dog’s body can create a serious threat. Infestation from heartworms can lead to heart problems and other illness. Treating this condition would require your dog to be hospitalized. Careful supervision is also needed during treatment of heartworms because your dog could undergo a heart failure or internal blood clots.

The problem with treating heartworm infestation using the conventional way however, is that the medication used to treat your dog is very harsh and toxic. Many times, the side effects from the treatment are much worse than the disease itself. Side effects from the common medication used in treating heartworms include vomiting, headache, weakness, joint pains, and sometimes even liver problems, bleeding disorders, and paralysis.

Getting rid of heartworms should not have to be hard on your dog. If possible, try to find a vet who uses an alternative cure in treating illness and diseases. These vets use treatments such as acupuncture, herbal treatment, or homeopathic medicine.

We all care about our dogs. We all want them to have the best health and to live a long life. We want to do whatever we can in order to increase their level of health and make them more resistant to parasites and diseases.

Similar to humans, all dogs have in them the natural mechanisms to fight diseases and parasites. The best way to harness these natural mechanisms is to give your dog sufficient amount of fresh, raw food, plenty of exercise, and the least amount of chemicals as possible, if any.