A common thread in many of the posts on this site, as well as others concerned with health issues, is the importance of supporting the immune system. It is the first line of defense against all disease for us and our pets. The primary reason why one person or pet gets sick and others exposed to the same conditions and infections do not, is the ability of our immune system to fight off the threat. As with lyme disease, it has been documented over and over again that our immune systems are capable of containing and neutralizing many of the disease threats that we are exposed to on a regular basis. However, if there are “co-factors” present, like a compromised immune system or the presence of a bacterial or viral infection, then we or our animals are much more likely to contract the disease. This tends to be the general rule across a wide spectrum of diseases, and the reason why discussions about prevention place so much emphasis on supporting the immune system.
Heartworm in dogs is a serious and difficult to treat problem. However, it tends to follow the same principles outlined above and as a result there are alternative ways of preventing and treating heartworm. This is particularly true in the case of prevention, there are alternatives to dosing our dogs with pesticides on a regular basis. The following article by Julie Henriques, Managing Editor of Dogs Naturally Magazine, provides an excellent understanding of where heartworm comes from, how it is spread, what the statistics look like and some valuable prevention and treatment tips. She also takes the time to ask and answer the questions that most of us don’t think to ask when it comes to difficult issues like heartworm. If you have ever wondered how healthy the pharmaceutical drugs used for prevention are or if there are alternatives you might want to take a look at this!