Cleansing parasites is necessary to protect and nourish…it was too late, for Gabby.
Before leaving the house today, we reflected on how we did our best to keep her clean, protect her from more pain and nourished her hunger for love. Knowing that there would not be a tomorrow for her, we gave the last bit of love we could.
Our dear, sweet Gabby was put to sleep today, July 9, 2010, as our last and final act of love.
Yes, love can be hard, brutal and sweet all in the same breath. You see, Gabby contracted heart worms, parasites, about 4 years ago and was diagnosed 1 year later. At the time, we couldn't bear to put her down. We agreed to give her steroids to decrease the swelling and let her live out her days.
What we didn't know was how hard it was going to be to watch her decline. Oh how I wish I would have educated myself about nutrition, cleanliness and prevention before she got sick.
It was just heartbreaking. This is the only way I can describe it. None of us were really aware of the consequences that heartworms could have. I mean, who knew that it could cause lung disease, heart failure, and other types of organ damage? Unfortunately, we were aware of what the end result would possibly be.
Even though we decided to give her steroids to make her as comfortable as possible, some people that we know suggested that CBD oil for dogs, (Read more here) could help to ease any pain that she was experiencing and to relieve any of the devastating symptoms she was suffering from. It is probably one of the hardest things that I've ever had to go through.
Once dogs get heart worms the choices are limited and can be costly. Saying this though, vaccines for dogs (or any pet) is very important, as you want to ensure they are as healthy and comfortable as possible. Our choices were even more limited due to her age. We've had Gabby since our son was in sixth grade. This year marks his tenth year out of high school.
Had we only known…
If we had known that mosquitoes in our area were carriers of this dreaded disease we would have taken preventative measures. Although I'm not big on drugs and artificial medicines, I would have chosen those over these parasites called heart worms.
I was going to insert a picture of an infested heart, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The pictures are graphic, nasty and I could only imagine my heart being strangled by these parasites.
Can our other pets get it…
The only good news we got from the vet that day was the protection of our other dog, Dexter. He was a mere pup when Gabby was diagnosed and the two were inseparable.
I was deathly afraid that Dexter could “catch” heart worms from being with Gabby. Running, playing and wrestling with Gabby, drinking from the same bowl…could he get infected?
The vet reassured me that the parasites can not be passed from animal to animal. The key factor is in the mosquito bite and saliva. An infected mosquito must bite an animal implanting the eggs. The eggs are then “fertilized” by the saliva of the infected mosquito and thus begins the life cycle of the parasite. I only wish that we could've put a stop to this before it had a chance to harm my Gabby, but it was impossible. I don't want the same thing to happen to Dexter, so I'm going to make sure that he is protected against these parasites. Even if it means having to bring in someone similar to these pest control experts in Arizona, (https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/arizona/) to investigate the house of any hiding insects that could cause harm. I just can't go through this experience again. I can't even bring myself to look at an infected mosquito, never mind looking at its life cycle.
Gross isn't it. But, it put my mind at ease knowing Dexter would be protected as long as I gave him monthly medicine to block that cycle.
What if we…
Many times when the kids were home we would play with the dogs, like most families do. Running and jumping, laughing and falling to the ground the dogs would pounce and lick. They are crazy when they are happy, licking you all over.
We never even thought about parasites in humans. But, we were to soon find out that people get parasites, too.
I mean, we worm our animals…dogs, cats, horses, cows…they all get wormed. If memory serves me right, Grandpa used to worm the cows a few times a year. I know we wormed our dogs at least twice a year, the cat, too.
But, my house is clean…not spotless, mostly cluttered, NOT dirty. I really thought only dirty people could get “worms”. Then, my daughter got sick and we couldn't figure out why.
Humbled by reality…
A trip to the pediatrician revealed that she had worms, pin-worms…oh my gosh! I was devastated. What would everyone think? Unfit mother, dirty…who knew what everyone would say.
My concern was for my daughter to stop hurting. She couldn't sleep. She would stay in the tub of hot water for hours to relieve the pain. All I wanted was for her to be well and rid of these “things”.
The treatment given to her were “cyanide pills“! Horse pills at that, huge, hard to swallow horse pills. Each of us had to take them, too. This type of parasite was ingested into to system by “breathing” air! Yes, the eggs are airborne.
Eeewww….
From that day on we made it a point to always do a quarterly cleanse. It took awhile to find the right one for our family. One that was not too harsh, making us cramp and bloat.
I don't know about you, but we are not fans of being in pain! Finally, we found cleansing parasites quarterly, and nourishing and protecting our bodies from these parasites gave us peace of mind.
With help from a friend who knew what they were talking about, we developed a wellness plan. Never again did I want my kids to go through that pain and embarrassment.
Learn from your dogs, like I did…
They say dog is man's best friend. If taking responsibility to care for your dog is higher on your list of priorities than your family…maybe you might re-think your priorities!
Don't wait til your kids have parasites to start your healthy habits. Cleanse, nourish and protect your bodies today!
Your whole body will thank you.
Until Next Time…
Carla J Gardiner
am following you now Carla…