I’ve been procrastinating on writing this post for a while. For some reason, the mere thought of having parasites is considered horrifying. But the reality is—most of us probably have them.
If you eat raw vegetables, have pets (or spend time around people who do), enjoy sushi, walk barefoot, or have been bitten by an insect, chances are, you’ve been exposed to parasites. Meanwhile, my friends overseas are shocked that most people in North America don’t routinely treat for them.
I’ve tried every natural remedy you can think of—oregano, black walnut, wormwood, cloves, and the list goes on. Not only do most of these taste awful, but none of them worked for me.
Our Family’s Parasite Protocol
In our household—myself, my husband, and our dog—we do a parasite cleanse on the 1st of every month, no testing needed. It’s no different than giving pets monthly Heartgard. In fact, if you check the ingredients on a box of Heartgard, you’ll find they’re the same as what we use—just significantly cheaper. With our method, both ingredients last for years and still cost less than six months of Heartgard.
Here’s what we use:
1. Pyrantel Pamoate
This has a mild vanilla-banana flavor that we all tolerate well.
2. Ivermectin
Amazon 8 oz: Link
Yes, the label says it’s for sheep—but ivermectin is ivermectin. The key is adjusting the dosage correctly (details below). Even with all three of us taking it monthly, one bottle lasts us years. Out of caution, we replace it when it expires to ensure potency, but it's still incredibly cost-effective.
⚠️ Warning: This stuff tastes nasty! We usually mix it with pyrantel pamoate to mask the flavor. You can also mix it into yogurt, kefir for yourself or your dog, or juice (but not for your dog).
Dosage & Frequency
First-time treatment: Take doses on the 1st, 15th, and again on the 1st and 15th of the next month.
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Ongoing maintenance: After the initial cleanse, take it on the 1st of every month.
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If re-exposed: If we know we’ve been exposed to parasites, we switch back to bi-monthly dosing for two months before resuming our regular schedule.
The reason for the initial bi-monthly doses is that these treatments don’t kill parasite eggs—only the hatched parasites. To break the cycle, you need to eliminate the newly hatched ones before they can lay more eggs.
(Sourced from DogAware)
Final Thoughts
Parasites are more common than we think, and treating them regularly has become a simple, routine part of our health regimen. If you've never considered it before, it might be worth looking into!
