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Treatment

This is a serious health problem and your cat will most likely require immediate hospitalization for intensive care and treatment. Fluid therapy and antibiotic therapy will be started to maintain body fluid level and to control the infection, respectively.

Patients with valve involvement generally do not have good prognosis. Treatment is usually continued for 12 weeks. During that time your veterinarian will take multiple blood samples at regular intervals to measure how much of the infection, if any, is still present. After antibiotic therapy has stopped, blood samples will be taken to confirm that the infection has been resolved.

Living and Management

If your cat's heart problem was mild, it will usually respond well to treatment. If the endocarditis was diagnosed in time, and aggressive treatment was employed along with detailed follow up, the chances of a full recovery are greatly enhanced.

You may need to take your cat to the veterinarian for weekly follow-up examinations, and to determine overall progress. Your veterinarian may also suggest a special diet for your cat to improve cardiovascular functioning and organ health. Treatment will be directed towards treating the underlying infection as well as the heart problems that have resulted from such infections. In cases where a diagnosis was not made early on, and the disease has had an opportunity to advance, the overall prognosis may be very poor due to further complications that are common in affected cats. In such a case, you will need to consult with your veterinarian on alternative plans.