Effective Heartworm Prevention & Treatment for Cats: A

Many mosquitoes can carry heartworms, and if they bite an animal infected with heartworms and then a cat, the cat can contract the disease. The worms will then mature within the cat's body, from larvae to adults, potentially leading to the cat's demise. Be aware: indoor cats can also be infected with heartworms. Statistics show that onethird of cats with heartworms live exclusively indoors. Compared to longhaired cats, shorthaired cats are more susceptible to mosquito bites and, consequently, heartworm infection.

Approximately 100 days after infection, the larvae begin to enter the bloodstream. They first travel to the lungs to mature, but if there are many worms, some may move to the heart, central nervous system, eyes, or posterior vena cava, causing respiratory difficulties, paralysis of the hind limbs, and sensory disturbances.

While heartworm infection is not easily contracted by cats, it is much less common than in dogs. However, once a cat is infected, it is challenging to diagnose (usually requiring an echocardiogram to examine the right ventricle and pulmonary artery) and impossible to treat effectively. Cats with heartworm infection are also at a high risk of sudden death.

The risk of sudden death is particularly concerning, as it means that insecticides are not a viable treatment option. Due to their small size and delicate blood vessels, even a single adult worm can be fatal to a cat. If the worms die naturally or are killed by medication, they can easily cause arterial embolism, leading directly to sudden death in cats. Therefore, if a cat is found to have adult heartworms, it is generally not recommended to use insecticides for treatment.

Cats are not the primary host for heartworms, and the worms' lifespan within a cat is relatively short, typically only about 45 months. This means that cats may recover on their own if left untreated.

Regular deworming can almost prevent heartworm infection. However, if a cat exhibits symptoms such as difficulty breathing or rapid breathing, it is important to consider heartworm infection.

Medical facilities typically use ELISA antibody tests, along with chest Xrays, electrocardiograms, ultrasounds, blood tests, and biochemical analyses to diagnose heartworm infection. Urinalysis may also be required, and followup checks are necessary a few months later.

Heartworms can cause irreversible damage to a cat's lungs, heart, and even brain, making them difficult to detect and treat. Therefore, prevention is our only real option.

Heartworms take about 56 months to mature within the body. It is recommended to deworm cats monthly. If financial constraints are a concern, consider deworming once a month during mosquito season (June to October), or even earlier in southern regions, starting from April.

Many deworming medications are available on the market to prevent heartworm infection, including ivermectin, selamectin, milbemycin oxime, moxidectin, and diethylcarbamazine.

For example, Heartgard contains ivermectin, Revolution has selamectin, Advocate contains pyriproxyfen and moxidectin. These are all suitable options.

It is very rare for humans to contract heartworms, as the larvae do not grow or develop within the human body, so they do not cause significant harm or death. However, this topic is beyond the scope of pet doctors, so they cannot provide detailed answers. There are also very few cases and studies in human medicine, so no specific help can be offered. There is no need to worry excessively.