Heartgard Plus Chewables Review

My vet suggested that I give my two Shih-poo puppies Heartgard as a preventative measure against heartworm.  Well, like anyone who treats their dogs like their kids, I did my due diligence.  Just so you all know:

Most veterinarians will recommend giving a daily or monthly pill to prevent heartworms, but in actuality you are administering a drug on a regular basis that is designed to stop the baby heartworm - "microfilariae" from becoming adults. The most popular heartworm preventives, Heartgard and Interceptor, are not really preventives at all; rather they act by killing the microfilariae larvae in an infested dog. In other words they're poisons, as are all of the other popular HW "preventives." None of them kills the fully adult heartworms in the dosages prescribed for "prevention."

Both Heartgard and Interceptor kill microfilariae. Therefore, if one's dogs have been on either of these products, they will test negative for heartworm when given the microfilariae test, even though they may be infested with adult heartworms. It is not common, but it does happen.

There have been many reports of dogs having very bad reactions to both Heartgard (Ivermectin) and Interceptor (Milbemycin Oxime). These drugs contain chemical insecticides. Administered over a period of time, the toxic side-effects become a serious health risk. Giving one's dog doses of poison month after month to kill something which probably isn't there anyway, doesn't make an awful lot of sense to me. I don't believe that we can ever poison our way to health.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 65% of adverse drug reactions and 48% of all reported deaths resulting from drug reactions are caused by heartworm preventatives. The potential side effects of Ivermectin (the active ingredient in Heartgard) include liver problems, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, lethargy, skin eruptions, seizures, tremors, paralysis, auto-immune disorders, thyroid problems, fever, weakness, dizziness, coughing, nose bleeds, difficulty breathing, pneumonia, irritability, sudden aggressive behavior, nerve damage, fertility problems, and sudden death. The drug poses a particular risk to Collies, Whippets, Irish Water Spaniels, Bull Mastiffs and related breeds. Other chemical heartworm preventatives have many of the same side effects. (http://www.grandadventuresranch.com/articles/heartworm.htm)

The point is, you are feeding your dog medicine every month that is designed to kill.  Why not find a natural alternative?  I found this one which helps to prevent/get rid of parasites, www.dog-health-care-information.com/parasitedoctor, and this one which, when given orally, helps with overall health, newvision.myzrii.com (it's formulated for human consumption, but it has an INCREDIBLE effect on canine, and possibly feline, health.)