Heartworm Disease in Cats

Heartworm Disease in Cats

By: Dr. Arnold Plotnick

Section: Veterinary Care In-depth

Therapy In-depth

The decision whether or not to treat feline heartworm disease is complicated, mostly because of the unpredictable nature of the disease and the risks of treatment side effects.

  • Adulticide Therapy. To kill adult worms in the heart and lungs, cats are given thiacetarsemide (Caparsolate®) intravenously. The new drug that works so effectively in dogs, melarsomine (Immiticide®) is not approved for use in cats. Preliminary studies of Immiticide® on heartworm infected cats have yielded poor results. Caparsolate® has the potential to cause liver problems, kidney problems, pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) and a terrible skin reaction if it leaks out of the vein during injection. The most worrisome side effect, however, is development of an embolus caused by a piece of dead worm traveling through the lungs and getting lodged. This causes sudden signs of respiratory distress that may be severe enough to cause death.
    Adulticide therapy should probably be reserved for cats who have recurrent life threatening bouts of dyspnea as a result of their heartworm infection.

  • Corticosteroid Therapy. Intermittent therapy with corticosteroids (for example, prednisone) has been recommended as an alternative to adulticide therapy. Cats with no symptoms, or mild symptoms may be managed with intermittent corticosteroids as needed. The life span of a heartworm in a cat is approximately two years. If the cat can get through several recurrent bouts of coughing and respiratory difficulties on corticosteroid therapy for two years after the initial diagnosis, there is a good chance that all the worms have died and the cat may be fine thereafter.

     
    Printable Version
     
    Have a Pet Question?
    Send Your Pet Question to Dr. Jon
    and His Staff of Veterinarians Ask Dr. Jon
    Dr. Jon's Newsletter
    Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...
     
     

    Related Articles

    • 1 Heartworm Prevention Guidelines for Cats

      Heartworms are present in most parts of the United States and mosquitoes are the key – without them the disease cannot spread. Though most often affecting dogs, heartworm disease is rapidly becoming a...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2 Congestive Heart Failure in Cats

      Heart failure is a condition, caused by an abnormality in the structure or the function of the heart, in which it is unable to pump normal quantities of blood to the tissues of the body.

      Read MoreRead More
    • Related Articles
    • 1 Heartworm Prevention Guidelines for Cats

      Heartworms are present in most parts of the United States and mosquitoes are the key – without them the disease cannot spread. Though most often affecting dogs, heartworm disease is rapidly becoming a...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2 Congestive Heart Failure in Cats

      Heart failure is a condition, caused by an abnormality in the structure or the function of the heart, in which it is unable to pump normal quantities of blood to the tissues of the body.

      Read MoreRead More
     

    Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

    Dogs & Puppies
    Cats
    Related Articles
    • 1 Heartworm Prevention Guidelines for Cats

      Heartworms are present in most parts of the United States and mosquitoes are the key – without them the disease cannot spread. Though most often affecting dogs, heartworm disease is rapidly becoming a...

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2 Congestive Heart Failure in Cats

      Heart failure is a condition, caused by an abnormality in the structure or the function of the heart, in which it is unable to pump normal quantities of blood to the tissues of the body.

      Read MoreRead More
    Advertisement
    Advertisement