Everyone likes a bargain. May it be a nice pair of shoes or a sleek gadget, people want a good discount every now and then. And it would even be better if they could get them for free! Needless to say, as long as people can save a couple of dollars from it, then they’re all for it.

The same goes when people pay for products and services for their pets. These days, many pet owners are finding different ways to save money especially on medical bills. So, it’s no longer surprising that more and more of them are turning to natural remedies for various health problems.

Natural Wormer for Dogs

One of the most popular alternative treatments is the natural wormer. Even though there are already countless conventional wormers in the market, there are still those who choose non-traditional solutions to worm infestation. Just some of the well-known natural wormers for dogs include black walnut, garlic, oregon grape and wormwood.

Undeniably, one of the biggest appeals of natural wormers is their price. Unlike traditional wormers that are sold in the market, natural wormers are inexpensive and, in some cases, they even come for free. But can they really help you save money?

The Real Deal with Natural Wormer for Dogs

Many people are lured into buying natural wormers because of their advantages. After all, what’s not to like about natural wormers? They’re cheap, they’re natural and they’re safe. Or are they?

If something is taken from nature, it is not a guarantee that it’s safe. In some cases, these natural remedies are actually poisonous to dogs. A good example would be garlic. This member of the onion family contains N-propyldisulfhide and S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide, chemicals that are believed to be harmful to dogs.

Wormwood is another popular dewormer for pets. However, just like garlic, this too contains a substance that is dangerous for dogs. Wormwood is also known as a good source of absinthe, an ingredient that can cause nausea, vomiting and seizures in humans.

So, can a natural wormer for dogs save you money?

The truth is there’s no definite answer to this question. It may seem that you cut your expenses by buying natural wormers but you have to keep in mind that since they are not guaranteed to be safe nor effective, you just might find yourself paying more for your dog’s medical bills in the long run.

Natural wormers sound too good to be true, and they probably are. Keep in mind that there have been no proper trials to show whether these natural wormers do actually get rid of worms, so you should not always trust them. It is better to shell out a little more now and be guaranteed of the long-term benefits than pay for nothing and wind up regretting it at the end of the day. Plus, there’s no harm in seeking a professional advice, is there? Besides, why be frugal when your pet’s health depends on it?

Tyson, our 5-year old German Shepherd, startled my Dad one morning. He was lying flat on the ground, looking ill. He had diarrhea and wouldn’t eat.

My Dad got worried so he quickly took our dog to the veterinarian for a check-up. The vet performed a test on a stool sample from Tyson and what he found was alarming! Our poor dog was infested with worms.

Most dog worms are parasites that reside in a dog’s intestines. They can cause adverse effects on the animal’s health and it is important that you know enough about dog worms in order to protect your dog.

Types of Dog Worms

The most common types of worms that can infect dogs are: roundworms; hookworms; whipworms; and tapeworms.

Roundworms
Roundworms stay in the small intestine and they feed on the tissues and bodily fluids of dogs. There are two kinds of roundworms: Toxocara canis (which can grow to 10-18 cm long) and Toxascaris leonina (which can grow to 6-10 cm long). Between the two, Toxocara canis is more dangerous because it can cause fatal infections in puppies and its larvae can also cause disease in humans.

Hookworms
Like roundworms, hookworms live in the small intestine of dogs. Despite their small size (5 to 16 mm long), hookworms are potentially fatal because they voraciously feed on blood from the intestinal wall. They can cause severe blood loss, especially in puppies, which can lead to anemia and/or death within a short period of time.

Whipworms
Adult whipworms, as their name suggests, are shaped like whips and they can grow to 4-7 mm long. They live in the large intestine and the appendix of a dog. Whipworms feed on tissue secretions but due to their feeding and burrowing activities, they can also cause significant blood loss.

Tapeworms
Tapeworms are flat in appearance. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, the most common tapeworm in dogs is the flea tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum, which can grow to 15- 70 cm long. Dogs usually catch this parasite from fleas. This and other types of tapeworms can also infect humans.

Worming Medications

Once the vet identified the worms infecting Tyson’s body, he recommended that Tyson be put on worming medication for treatment.

There is currently a wide range of worming medications pet owners can choose from in the market. Depending on the active ingredients contained in each medication, they can treat and protect the dog from specific parasites. Worming medications like Drontal Plus, which contains a combination of pyrantel, febantel and praziquantel can get rid of roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms simultaneously. If a dog is infected with tapeworms, worming medications that contain praziquantel (Droncit and Pet Shed’s Generic Tapeworm alternative) can treat the pet for these parasites. Meanwhile, treatments that have milbemycin or a combination of ivermectin and pyrantel can kill some intestinal parasites and also heartworms. Examples are Sentinel, Interceptor, and Heartgard Plus.

Protection against Worms

After a period of treatment, Tyson was able to fully recover. Since then, Dad has always made sure that Tyson is free from worms through regular worming (maintenance and prevention), once every three months. Today, he is a picture of a healthy and active dog, no longer suffering from the problems caused by intestinal parasites.

Like what happened to Tyson and my Dad, you can also help protect your dog from worms. How about you, what do you use to treat worms in your dog?

Worming products today are practical.  They make the task of worm control easier for dog owners.  These medications offer useful solutions on how to eliminate internal parasites safely and effectively.  They come in tablets, spot-ons, liquid suspensions and pastes.  They are also available either as prescription or over-the-counter medications. 

Regardless of their types, though, each dog wormer contains different active ingredients that kill specific parasites – the most common of which are roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms.  Based on a particular ingredient of dog wormers, some can treat only a certain kind of worm, while others can treat various kinds.

Choosing Worming Products

Depending on the parasite that is infecting your dog, pet owners like you can choose between dog wormers that kill a specific type of worm and those that are effective against many types. 

Worming Products which contain only the active ingredient praziquantel just kill tapeworms.  They do not have any effect on other parasites.  Examples of these are Droncit and the Generic Tapeworm alternative from Pet Shed. 

On the other hand, dog wormers that contain a combination of at least two or three active ingredients can get rid of a wide range of parasites, hence they are described as “broad-spectrum”.  For example, the pyrantel, febantel and praziquantel of Drontal Plus can kill roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms.  There are also some medicines which are mainly intended to prevent heartworms and fleas that provide extra protection against intestinal worms.  For example, Heartgard Plus, which contains ivermectin and pyrantel, not only controls heartworms, but roundworms and hookworms as well.  Another broad-spectrum product like Sentinel contains a combination of milbemycin oxime and lufenuron, which not only controls roundworms, whipworms, and some hookworms but also prevents heartworms and fleas.  Getting rid of fleas is also important in fighting worms  because they are carriers of tapeworms. 

 Ensuring Full Protection

If you’re thinking of protecting your dog from a wide range of parasites, it would be a good idea to use broad-spectrum worming products.  These provide protection not only against intestinal worms, but may also protect against dangerous heartworms.  Doing this is like hitting two birds, or many birds (this is perhaps the better term) with one stone.  This means there is no need to buy separate products for each type of treatment, which translates to more savings for you.

Finally, if you are planning to deworm your dog soon, always consider the kind of worming products you will use to treat the internal parasites in your pet.   Do not just pick anything at random. Take note of their effectiveness and which products work best for your dog and prove to be easy on your budget as well. 

Have you used wormers for your dog?  If you have, which ones have you found effective in your pet?

With more and more pet owners becoming mindful and cautious about the ingredients in the products they buy for their cats, natural remedies are becoming “in.” These days, it’s no longer uncommon to see natural treatments for every pet health problem imaginable. From stress anxiety to flea infestation, many people are now seeking alternative methods to treat the different problems that plague their feline friends.

The Pros

The same goes for getting rid of parasitic worms. Rather than buying prescription wormers, some pet owners choose to go with herbal remedies because of their perceived advantages. One of these is that unlike commercialized and conventional wormers, natural wormers don’t use synthetic ingredients that may have harmful effects on cats. For this reason, natural wormers are often considered safe. Another reason some pet owners prefer natural wormers is because they are cheaper than conventional ones.

But there are always two sides to every story, which means that natural wormers are not all that they are claimed to be.

The Cons

The demand for natural wormers hinges on the perception that alternative treatments are safer than conventional ones. But the truth is that natural wormers are not always safe. This is because some of them may contain substances or chemicals that are poisonous to animals. One example would be wormwood, which contains tannins and volatile oils like thujone that are toxic to cats.

Apart from this, most natural wormers that are sold in the market are not regulated. This means that they did not pass tests for potency and purity. As a result, natural wormers may be either unsafe or ineffective because they have not been thoroughly tested and studied. Some of these natural wormers may even bring about side effects especially when used in combination with other drugs. For this reason, it is recommended that pet owners consult a vet first before giving any natural wormer to their cats.

Going with the advice of a professional is and will always be the smartest thing to do. If your cat is suffering from worm infestation, don’t be quick to rely on natural wormers that are not even guaranteed to be safe and effective. Entrusting your pet’s health to a natural remedy is just like entrusting his life to a quack doctor. And that’s something you wouldn’t do if you really love your pet, would you?

No parasite is perhaps as menacing to pets as a heartworm. This is because unlike other pests that plague dogs and cats, getting rid of heartworms is no walk in the park. What’s even more alarming is the fact that heartworms can kill. If they are not detected early, these parasites can cause pets to suffer from heart failure and other life-threatening symptoms that may eventually result in death.

Another example of a life-threatening symptom caused by heartworms is pulmonary embolism, which happens when there is a blood clot in the lungs. The blood clot is a result of fully-grown heartworms blocking the arteries of the heart. The clot blocks the supply of blood to the lungs, which consequently, prevents oxygen from being delivered to other parts of the body. Pulmonary embolism is dangerous because it can cause your pet to have difficulty in breathing and to experience pain in the lungs. In severe cases, pulmonary embolism can also cause death.

Cortisones

To prevent pulmonary embolism and further inflammation of the irritated blood vessels where the worms are located, cortisones are sometimes used. Cortisones or corticosteroids are a type of steroid hormone. They are also often referred to simply as “steroids”, but they should not be confused with the ones used by bodybuilders to buff up, which are anabolic steroids. Cortisones are commonly given by veterinarians to control inflammation and other disease processes in pets. Pets that suffer from allergies and asthma are usually given cortisones.

How are heartworms and cortisones related?

Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about cortisones is that they are used to treat heartworms in pets. This isn’t the case because the truth is that cortisones only help treat the symptoms of heartworm disease, namely the formation of blood clots in the lungs. It does not get rid of the parasites inside pets.

Do cortisones have side effects?

Cortisone has always been a controversial drug. While effective, cortisones have a number of side effects that make them not advisable for long-term use. As a matter of fact, the recommended treatment for heartworm disease tends to veer away from the use of cortisones, and favor just using the injections of the medication which does kill heartworms. This is not only because of the long-term side effects of the drug but also because of the possibility that they might interfere with the effectiveness of anti-heartworm injections.

One example of the adverse effects of using cortisones is the suppression of the immune system, which affects pets as it does humans. The immune system is what fights off infections in the body, and when it is compromised the body becomes more susceptible to diseases.

Cortisones can also cause Cushing’s syndrome, which happens when there is an overproduction or excessive amount of cortisones in the body. A pet that suffers from Cushing’s syndrome experiences increased appetite and thirst, decreased hair growth and excessive urination. If not treated, Cushing’s syndrome may also result in other health problems such as kidney failure and liver failure.

The Final Word on Cortisones

Cortisones are like double-edged swords: they can both help and harm those who take them. With that said, pet owners should be aware of the risks involved in giving this drug to their pets. So, up until veterinarians find a way to reduce the symptoms of heartworms without the use of cortisones, the best way to avoid having to use this drug is to prevent heartworms beforehand. As they say, prevention is always better than cure. After all, there would be no need to use cortisones to reduce these symptoms if heartworms do not infect your pet, would there?

Herbs are plants that contain active therapeutic properties for particular illnesses. For centuries, they have been used to prevent and treat some human diseases but later on they have also been used to cure animal diseases such as skin disorders and parasitic infections including the potentially fatal heartworm disease.

Picture this situation: your pet gets sick with heartworm disease, what will you do? Will you give medications right away or will you rely on herbal cures first?

In treating heartworm disease, the conventional way is to consult a veterinarian, who will determine the most appropriate treatment for your pet. Depending on the clinical signs and the severity of the infection shown by the dog, the veterinarian can administer injections of melarsomine, which will kill the worms. But prior to injecting melarsomine, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) recommends to start the dog on a heartworm preventive at the time of diagnosis. According to the AHS, a heartworm preventive (e.g. tablet or spot-on) should be given for one to three months before the first melarsomine injection. The reason behind this is that melarsomine has not been shown to kill heartworms that are less than 4 months old. A heartworm preventive, on the other hand, can initially kill the one and two-month-old worms and stop any new worms from infecting the dog. The AHS also recommends that during the entire treatment process, the preventive should be given continuously.

However, some people are wary of traditional heartworm preventive and treatment medications because they believe that they contain potentially harmful substances that can cause side effects. As a result, they become fearful of advancements in veterinary medicine and would rather stick to natural methods. They use herbal remedies with the belief that these are better alternatives to conventional medications. Some examples of these herbs are black walnut, pumpkin seed, wormwood, rosemary, cranberry fruit, and the like. These are very affordable, which adds to their appeal. But still, the question is on whether or not these herbal cures are effective.

Unfortunately, there is not enough information to answer this question. This is because there is currently no scientifically proven herbal remedy for heartworms. Herbal cures are, more often than not, borne out of mistaken notions on heartworm disease rather than on facts. Pumpkin seeds, for instance, are thought to get rid of canine heartworms in the digestive tract; this is not true, though, as heartworms do not enter this part of the body.

Most veterinarians will also agree that using heartworm preventives and treatment medications is still the way to go instead of using herbal remedies. As to the side effects, pet owners should know that all heartworm medications, like medicines for people, have side effects, but they are very effective in helping treat the disease nonetheless.

This is in contrast to herbal cures that do not ensure successful treatment for heartworm disease and may sometimes put the animals’ health at greater risk. Perhaps, they may work better only as support to using traditional treatment, which requires proper diagnosis and support from a vet with sufficient training on herbal medicines.

When your dog or cat contracts heartworm disease, you should think twice about giving them herbal cures. You may want to take a trip to your vet and ask for efficient and safe medication, after all, you don’t want to endanger your pet’s health, do you?

Dog wormers get rid of worms found in a dog’s intestines. They are chemical-based medications, which contain certain active ingredients that kill different types of worms – roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms and hookworms. Dog wormers come in tablets, spot-ons and liquid suspensions. It is a known fact that wormers are proven effective in getting rid of the parasites, but have you ever wondered if they have side effects?

A common fear among dog owners is whether or not their dogs will experience harmful side effects such as diarrhea, skin reactions and the like when they give wormers to their dogs. But here is the good news: there are generally no significant side effects from dog wormers. Even if a few people claim that some dog wormers that contain nitroscanate may cause vomiting, this shouldn’t be a major concern because vomiting is a normal sign of worm infestation. But in general, dog wormers including those that contain pyrantel, oxantel, febantel or praziquantel such as Drontal Plus and Canex do not cause vomiting in pets.

Veterinarians say that worming medications are the best solution to treat a worm-infested dog. This is because dog wormers undergo effectiveness and safety tests before they are sold in the market. Pet owners, therefore, can be assured that they are helping their dogs get rid of worms through the use of these medications.

Nevertheless, if you still have worries about dog wormers and the side effects they may bring, the best thing to do is to consult a veterinarian regarding which products are safe and effective for your pet. After all, it is better to guarantee your pet’s ultimate protection against worms rather than to be sorry, isn’t it?

Let us assume you are a dog owner with no background in veterinary medicine whatsoever. You may know some things about heartworms–those parasitic worms that can threaten the life of your pet–but do you think a little knowledge is enough? Perhaps not. Heartworm disease is a formidable threat and it is important that you know how to prevent it from infecting your dog. One way to do this is to give your dog heartworm preventive pills.

To help you gain some insight, I took some time to research on heartworms and the appropriate time on when to give preventive medicines. Let me share with you what I have gathered.

The Best Time Doesn’t Depend Only on Geography

In the past, heartworms had been found to be prevalent only in certain parts of the US. However, recent studies suggest that heartworms are now a potential threat in every part of the country. An article published in a book called the US Companion Animal Health confirms this, saying that it is necessary to give dogs preventive heartworm pills or medication wherever they are located because mosquitoes spread quickly and people and their pets have become very mobile.

The Best Time Is During Any Temperature

According to Dogaware.com, heartworm larvae develop faster during warmer temperatures. Specifically, they infect dogs when temperatures are constantly above 14°C (57 °F) for at least two weeks. This means that heartworm infection can be controlled if temperatures drop any time during that period.

Given the unpredictability of the weather, simply relying on temperature ranges is not very practical. This means that if you want to protect your pet, you need to give them heartworm pills on a regular basis especially during summer and spring.

The Best Time Is Now

Nothing beats early prevention. The sooner you start your dog on heartworm pills/medication, the sooner you will be able to prevent infection. The good news is that help is readily available. You can consult your veterinarian, so he or she can perform a diagnostic blood test and recommend the right heartworm pill based on the age, breed, and lifestyle of your dog.

Some heartworm pills available are Interceptor, Sentinel, and Heartgard. Generic heartworm preventives such as NuHeart are also for sale at very affordable prices. When giving these medications, it is important to consider if the dog is old enough to start taking them. Doing so is very important in ensuring your pet’s safety. The manufacturers recommend that medicines like Heartgard, Heartgard Plus and NuHeart be given to dogs that are at least 6 weeks old and that Sentinel and Interceptor be given to dogs that are at least 4 weeks old and weigh at least 2 pounds.

Depending on the heartworm pill prescribed, you may need to give it on a monthly or daily basis. Remember that there is no need to give further medication than what is prescribed.

Thus, the Best Time Is Year-Round

It seems that the only way to prevent heartworm infection is to give heartworm preventives to dogs the entire year. As long as you are aware of the best time to give them and you have the appropriate heartworm pill, you can help protect your pet from heartworm disease. Now, there is no time to waste. Why don’t you check with your vet and have your dog start on a preventive heartworm pill today?

Worms - roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms – are tiny intestinal parasites that can cause other serious health problems, like pneumonia, for cats. So, it is not only necessary to get rid of them when they infest your cat, but it is also important to prevent them from getting into the cat’s body in the first place. There are numerous products available for these purposes and pet owners can choose between two types of medication: conventional or natural cat wormers.

Conventional or traditional cat wormers are those that use a combination of chemicals to fight the disease. The two most common active ingredients are pyrantel and praziquantel. Examples of products with these ingredients are Drontal for Cats and Valucat All Wormer Paste.

Natural or alternative cat wormers are those that make use of herbs and plants to treat and protect against the disease. The most common herbs or plants used are betel nut, garlic, pumpkin seed, and mint leaf. Most of these are considered home remedies, while others have been combined with other herbs to produce over the counter medications.

Both of these types of medication has their own advocates. Some even go to the extreme of claiming that their type of cure is the only way to go. There are also some who propose to combine both in treating worms. Who is right? Which will you choose?

For me, I believe that using natural cat wormers has a few advantages. It’s cheaper, easier to get, and has no chemicals which may cause side effects. However, they usually cannot guarantee that our pets will be completely free of worms because herbal medicine is not an exact science. So, I may still use them but only as a supplement for my cat. In the case of worm infestation, I would still prefer to give my pet the conventional medications because in the long run, they are safer and more effective.

Between these two type of medications, it is up to each pet owner to find which is effective for their pets. To make sure that you are choosing wisely, consult a vet. As for me, traditional medications are effective for my cats and that’s reason enough for me to keep using them. Why change when these wormers are serving my cats well?

To make sure that your cats can enjoy an active life, they must be healthy. Unfortunately, there are many factors in the environment that can make your pet sick. One of these are intestinal worms - roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms.

These worms can cause a variety of symptoms - like diarrhea, dehydration and vomiting – which can weaken your cat. But the good news is that there are many products that can rid your pets of these parasites, you just have to make the right choice. But, how do you determine which is the best cat wormer for your pet? For me, I just follow these simple tips:

1. Ask these questions when consulting a vet:

a. Which worms are a problem in your area?

b. Which worm/s should your cat be treated for?

c. What time of the year should you use treatment for a specific worm?

2. Get information about the types of medication to use on your cat. Currently, cat dewormers come in these forms: tablets, and pastes or topical liquids. Each one is administered differently and knowing this can help you decide which is easier to give your pet.

3. Study the indications and directions of each product so that you’ll know if it has any side effects and counter-indications. Doing so will also tell you if the product can treat all intestinal worms or only a specific worm. There are also some products that combine intestinal worm treatment with heartworm prevention and flea treatment.

4. Select a wormer that is most suited to your cat’s age and size.

5. Use only products that are recommended by a vet and are approved by the appropriate regulatory authorities, such as the FDA and the APVMA.

Choosing a wormer that will work best for your cat can guarantee your pet’s safety from the diseases that these parasites can cause. And when your pet is free from diseases they can lead a fuller and longer life. Isn’t this what you want for your cat?