Heartworms is a very serious conditions for dogs and cats as the worms feast away on vital areas around your cat's heart; however, treating heartworm diseases for cats is a lot different than those for dogs. Never under any circumstance use the same treatment for dogs on your cat - especially if you own both dogs and cats as both need different medications. Dog heartworm medications can cause life threatening problems for your cats as they are not suitable for them.

Although your goal is to get rid of all the heartworms, that may not be the case as cats are very difficult to treat for heartworms. Getting rid of the heartworms can actually cause more trouble for your cats which may result in even more serious diseases and life threatening issues. The dying worms have side affects on your cats as they can be lodged in the arteries of the heart, and can often cause inflammation; thus, if your cat has serious heartworm infections, they may have to stay inside the hospital for a while to insure that they are doing well, and getting healthy. It is important to insure that the dying heartworms are not causing any serious side affects or health problems.

The first thing to do if you think your cat has heartworms is to take them to the veterinarian. The veterinarian will be able to confirm how many heartworms have infected your cat's heart, and the side affects of getting rid of the heartworms. Furthermore, they will be able to let you know what sort of medication is best for your cat. Although there are some over the counter medication available at some drugstores, never use them without the veterinarian confirming that they can help your cat get rid of the heartworms. Some medication will not help your cat get rid of the heartworms or will give them serious side affects that you will need to deal with later. To determine the best options available for you, the vet will need to run several tests in order to conclude which one is the best option available to your cat. Sometimes the best option available to your cat may not be the "top-notch" medications out there, but rest assured that it is the best medication that will benefit your cat.

As you can see, treating heartworm infections is tedious, and there may be many side affects that will come along (1 out of 3 cats may often develop some worse health problems with the dying worms lodged in their heart); thus, prevention is much better than having to cure it. It is vital to talk to your vet about ways of preventing heartworm infections for your cat as this will be the healthiest option.