Heartworm disease in cats is widespread and life threatening. There is no cure for heartworm disease, but there are four drugs approved by the FDA that can prevent heartworm disease in cats.

1. PREVENTION OF HEARTWORM
DISEASE IN CATS
Written by Mary Anderson
Reviewed by William Neumann DVM
cattreeparadise.com

2. Heartworm disease is life threatening for
cats.
• Heartworm disease is • This transmission has to
transmitted by infected happen through the
mosquitoes that bite the mosquito to the cat, not
cat and inject the larvae of from cat to cat.
the heartworm parasite.
• There is no treatment
approved by the FDA in
• In the cat, these larvae the United States to treat
mature into heartworms heartworm disease in cats.
in about 6 months. The
worms infect the blood • The only therapy is
vessels of the lungs and supportive, in an attempt
heart, causing damage. to help the cat survive the
disease which lasts 2 to 3
years.

3. Heartworm medication can prevent the
disease in cats.
• The FDA has approved 4 • Topical medications have
treatments to prevent the advantage of
heartworm disease in protecting against many
cats. other parasites other than
just heartworms.
• Heartguard® for Cats, an
oral tablet by Merial.
• Interceptor®, an oral • Also topicals can be easier
tablet by Novartis. to administer than tablets.
• Revolution®, a topical by
Pfizer.
• Advantage Multi for Cats,
a topical by Bayer.

4. Heartworm medication should be given
year round.
 These 4 treatments do not  Ideally heartworm
prevent the infection of the prevention should be
cat by the larvae from given all year, since the
mosquitoes. success of the medication
depends on killing the
 The treatments kill the larvae at a particular part
larvae in the cat when they of its life cycle.
are in a particular part of
their 6 month life cycle,
before they mature into • Since these medications
heartworms. are given frequently, the
administration should be
as easy as possible.

5. How to give oral heartworm tablets to
cats.
• The tablets need to be • Usually reducing the
given with food so they amount of food at that
can be absorbed and meal and making sure the
ideally they should be cat is hungry will let the
chewed up. tablet be eaten without
being noticed.
• The medication can be
divided into 4 pieces and • If the cat would vomit the
mixed in with food. meal, contact your vet for
instructions on when to
give the cat another dose
of heartworm prevention.

6. How to give topical heartworm
medication to cats.
• The topical medications • The medication is placed
are placed behind the behind the neck so the cat
neck. This requires cannot groom the area.
pushing back the fur and
squeezing out the liquid • If you have multiple cats,
directly onto the skin. the cat getting the
treatment must be
• The manufacturers isolated from the other
recommend not getting cats for 2 hours. This
the liquid on your hands prevents them from
or touching the cat for 2 grooming each other.
hours.

7. Protect your cats!
• The 4 heartworm • Heartworm disease in
medications each use cats is widespread,
a different chemical life threatening, and
to kill the heartworm preventable.
larvae.
• As a result, in the few
cases where a cat has • Please protect your
a negative reaction to precious companions!
a chemical, they still
might successfully
take one of the other
3 medications.