Instructions
Look for the following symptoms in your cat: coughing, vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite and tachycardia or increased heart rate. Other, less common symptoms of heartworms are fainting and fever.
Consult a vet. The most common test for heartworms is an antibody/antigen test. This will show whether your cat's body is producing the specific antibodies that fight a heartworm infection, indicating that the parasite is present.
Schedule an ECG (electrocardiogram) at your vet's clinic. The ECG will measure the electrical activity of your cat's heart and rule out any other possible causes behind its heart problem.
Have an ultrasound or X-ray performed on your cat. Cats are usually only infected with one worm, so these methods are not as reliable as an antibody test. However, and ultrasound or X-ray might be used to confirm an infection.
Find out how far the infection has progressed. This will help your vet determine the correct way of managing the condition. Your vet might prescribe steroids to help reduce inflammation.
How to Diagnose Heartworm Disease in Cats
Heartworms are potentially life-threatening parasites that are transmitted by mosquitoes. The parasite can affect cats all over the world, but is most common in areas with a higher mosquito population. It is a type of roundworm that lives in the right ventricle of your cat's heart and can cause respiratory problems or sudden death. There is no single treatment for heartworms, and the condition can be difficult to diagnose, as cats' immune systems are usually good at fighting off the parasite.