Heartworm Disease and CBD Administration
Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal condition found in dogs and cats across the United States. It’s contracted via mosquitoes whose larvae migrate to the heart, causing cardiovascular and respiratory concerns. CBD doesn’t treat heartworm disease but it does assist the body in regaining balance so that it can better handle the infection and any subsequent medical treatments. Because of this effect, CBD works well alongside heartworm preventative medications, helping the immune system remain in top form.
What is Heartworm Disease?
Heartworm disease refers to a set of symptoms resulting from infection of the heartworm organism. Mosquitos carry the microscopic baby worms, called microfilaria, that mature into larva after 10-14 days. Larvae are deposited on the skin of susceptible mammals like dogs and cats; the larvae then work their way into the bloodstream via mosquito bites. Once inside the new host, larvae continue to mature into adult worms which can live 2-3 years inside cats, and up to 7 years in dogs.
Dogs are the natural host for heartworms which means heartworms can live and breed inside infected dogs. Cats are an atypical host and most larvae don’t survive into adulthood. As a result, dogs and cats often exhibit different symptoms — dogs usually via adult worms and cats via larval damage and immune system stimulation.
Signs in both range from subtle like a reduced appetite in both dogs and cats, to severe like heartworm associated respiratory disease in cats. Other symptoms include periodic vomiting, asthma-like coughing and weight loss. Some cats may have difficulty walking, have seizures or suffer from fluid accumulation in the abdomen. In rare cases, cats may suddenly collapse and pass away.
In dogs, there are approved treatments that kill adult heartworms. Once dead, the body naturally disposes of them. Some dogs have permanent cardiovascular damage while others recover and appear unaffected. There are no treatments available for heartworm disease in cats … but there are excellent prevention medications available from veterinarians for dogs and cats.
CBD Administration with Heartworm Disease
Now that we’ve got a good understanding of what heartworm disease is, let’s talk about how CBD fits into the picture.
The cannabis receptor system has a single function: to listen to and correct cellular stress. It does this by using a variety of compounds including cannabinoids (pronounced kah-nab-a-noydz) like CBD and aromatic terpenes like beta-caryophyllene (kar-ee-o-phy-leen).
When a mosquito carrying heartworm larvae bites a dog or cat, the cannabis system creates more receptors near the bite wound. It then calls in available compounds, whether made internally or administered via supplement, to ensure a healthy inflammatory and immune system response occurs. It may call in CBD to directly assist the immune system in its anti-larval efforts. To augment CBD’s effects, it can attract THC to promote homeostasis (balance) and CBD to potentiate the calming effects both CBD and THC can have on nearby tissues.
If the infection gets by the enhanced immune system, then the cannabis system shifts gear away from the healing mosquito bite and aggressively towards the immune system which is now in charge of finding and terminating runaway larvae. For this effort, the cannabis system makes more receptors throughout the cardiovascular and immune system, offering a more systemic approach. Now the system needs a larger number and wider variety of compounds for a whole body effect.
It calls in more CBD and THC but now seeks out different cannabinoids like CBG & CBC, and aromatics like beta-caryophyllene. This combination offers a more aggressive approach to enhancing the immune system, helping maintain a normal internal inflammatory response, promoting the body’s innate resistance to pathogens, and supporting healthy cardiovascular and respiratory cellular activities.
If the heartworm larvae are in large numbers, overwhelming the immune system, or simply of a tough lineage, then true heartworm disease develops. The cannabis receptor system can’t resolve this, but it can continue to provide support for the immune system in its efforts to manage the infection. CBD’s antioxidant effects alone can assist with normal inflammatory responses in damaged tissues, and it helps provide a calming effect on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
When medication is administered to treat heartworm infection in dogs, supportive care is provided to infected cats, or preventative medication is administered to either, balanced CBD administration (CBD plus other cannabis compounds) continues to help soothe occasional inflammation and promotes relaxation of stressed cells. No negative effects are reported with either heartworm preventions or treatments.
Last Thoughts on CBD and Heartworms
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition that affects dogs and cats across the United States, with infection spread through mosquito bites. While CBD does not cure heartworm disease, it plays a significant role in supporting the body’s natural defense mechanisms, enhancing the immune system’s response, and maintaining overall health during treatment and prevention.
The cannabis receptor system leverages compounds like CBD to regulate cellular stress, promote a healthy inflammatory response, and provide a calming effect on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This supportive role makes CBD a valuable adjunct to traditional heartworm preventative and treatment medications, helping pets better manage the infection and recover from its effects. Therefore, incorporating CBD alongside conventional medical approaches offers a holistic strategy for managing heartworm disease in pets.
