Feline Heartworm Treatment

Heartworms are worms that are transmitted by mosquitoes and live in an animal's heart and pulmonary arteries. Heartworms are a major concern for dogs. They also can affect cats, though infections are rare.

  1. Significance

    • Unfortunately, there are no known treatments that safely rid cats of heartworms, according to the American Heartworm Society.

    Function

    • Some veterinarians may attempt to treat cats with heartworm medicines designed for dogs. However, these drugs can cause side effects, such as death and lung failure in some cats.

    Effects

    • If heartworms are left untreated, however, they move from the arteries into the lungs when they die and can cause death.

    Time Frame

    • One method of care is to treat the symptoms and hope the cat outlives the infection. A typical heartworm infection lasts about two years.

    Considerations

    • If a cat is treated for symptoms, it will be on corticosteroids for much of the disease's duration and may need to have fluid drained from the lungs. Unfortunately, the cat is at risk of sudden death any time during a heartworm infection.