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Conventional preventatives are still the best way to protect your dog.

By Mary Straus

People have learned of the benefits of a natural diet and limited vaccinations, and have seen the health improvements in their dogs from these changes. Now, many want to know if they can discontinue administering heartworm preventatives to their dogs, or whether those can be replaced by natural options.

Scottish Deerhounds Raven (above) and Bran were raw-fed, minimally vaccinated, and holistically raised in a part of California where a low prevalence of heartworm is reported, but both became infected with the parasites.

Heartworm preventatives can cause serious side effects in some dogs, including depression, lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, dilation of the pupil, loss of balance, staggering, convulsions, and hy-persalivation. Some dogs are especially prone to side effects from ivermectin, the main ingredient in one of the most widely used heartworm preventatives. Also, some of the preventatives are combined with drugs aimed…

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