My has a 1/2 Golden Retriever & 1/2 Collie she is about 10 years old and has been diagnosed with heartworms and she is on a fixed income the treatments are so expensive too and painful. She also has a tumor under her belly that hangs down. My Mom and brother took her to the VET for the tumor and they told her she had heartworms well everyone is upset cause she can't afford the treatments and I can't either. Is there anything I can tell my Mom to give her to get rid of the heartworms then we can rake up enough for having the tumor removed. The dog's bowel movements are not normal she tries and tries and finally has one but my Mom has noticed a small amount of blood with it also she is having trouble urinating also. Is this caused by the heartworms or the tumor ? Right now we are trying to get rid of the heartworms. I heard garlic juice will get rid of it too but I read this on the Internet don't know if it works or not. Any help would be appreciated very much. I would need to know what would be good to give her how much to give her and how often also. The dog weighs 50lbs around that. Thank you God Bless
Replied by Meri (Columbia, SC) on 07/15/2008
I'm not a vet but have a little experience here. The life cycle of a heartworm is 3 years. If you put your dog on a monthly heartworm preventative this will stop any new heartworms from hatching while the existing heartworms die off. My dog is now heartworm free after 3 years. My vet suggested this so you may want to consult your vet. I have heard this is not good for dalmation breeds. Does your dog cough? Coughing may suggest a severe infestation. Vet can check using a blood sample to determine how severe of heartworms.
As for the straining at elimination time it sounds as if your dog may be constipated. You can add healthy oils to your dogs food and may want to add some water. Older dogs forget to drink enough water just like people!
Good Luck!
