A liver fluke is a small parasite that infects your cat's liver. It survives by leaching nutrients out of the liver and thereby damages the host. For this reason, a liver fluke infection is a potentially very serious condition which you must remedy as quickly as possible. The first step toward treating liver flukes in your cat is to properly recognize that the condition which he is suffering from is due to the flukes themselves.
A vet can help you to identify and properly diagnose this condition. Once you've confirmed that it's liver flukes which are causing your cat's health problems, you can then discuss with your vet the various ways to go about treating the condition.
Liver Fluke Treatment Overview
Liver flukes are types of worms which affect the biliary tracts of your cat. These tracts are responsible for producing bile which helps to detoxify your cat's blood and urine as well. In order to properly treat the liver fluke infection, you must not only deal with the living worms in the biliary tracts, but also with their eggs and any larvae which may develop into flukes. Failing to completely eliminate all liver flukes and at all stages of life can result in a prolonged infection that is more difficult to treat.
The most important element of the liver fluke treatment process for your cat is the de-worming. There are a number of different medicines and drugs which are used to eliminate worms from your pet's system. These are generally considered to be highly effective and have few side effects or other risks for your cat.
Most vets will recommend that you treat your pet with a de-worming medicine multiple times over a set period of time in order to be sure that the worms are completely eradicated from his system.
Additional Treatment Components
There are other parts of the treatment which may be necessary as well. These depend upon your cat's overall health as well as the extent to which the liver flukes have damaged his liver and the rest of his body. For instance, in some cats, liver flukes actually contribute to a change in the consistency of the bile that the liver produces. This thicker bile is less capable of properly detoxifying the blood. In order to help the bile to adequately complete the procedures that it needs to go through, your vet may recommend that you give your cat an agent to help thin out the bile as well.
In cases where the liver fluke infection has caused moderate to severe liver damage, liver hormone and enzyme supplements may be necessary as well. These do not help to treat the liver fluke infestation themselves, but they can be very helpful in restoring your pet's damaged health and helping to stabilize him. A healthier cat is generally better able to fight off the liver fluke infestation as well.