How Much Does Heartworm Treatment Cost?

The average cost of heartworm treatment in dogs is $1,000.¹ In extreme cases, expenses can reach $6,000.² However, each treatment method has a different cost. The type of treatment plan you’ll need can vary based on factors like your pet’s species and the stage of the disease as well.

Take a look at common heartworm treatment methods and their costs to help you find the best treatment plan for your pet. 

What Is Heartworm?

A heartworm is a parasitic worm that lives in either the heart or large blood vessel of an infected animal.^3,4 Heartworms can live for up to 7 years inside dogs and 4 years inside cats.^3,4

The degree to which your pet is affected by heartworms depends on a few factors, such as how many heartworms are in their body. Symptoms range from no symptoms — or perhaps a mild cough — to a life-threatening condition called caval syndrome, where a large mass of worms blocks blood flow to the heart.³

Heartworm treatment options and associated costs can depend on whether your pet is a dog or cat, plus the severity of their infection.^2,4

Dog Heartworm Treatment Cost

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says the average treatment cost for heartworm in dogs can reach $1,000.¹ However, serious cases can require surgical treatment, which may cost up to $6,000 on its own.²

Heartworm testing

Part of the total heartworm treatment cost for dogs is the various tests and scans. A heartworm antigen test, which vets will use to see if a dog tests positive for heartworms, can cost up to $75.²

Once a dog is confirmed to have heartworms, an ultrasound and X-ray will likely be performed on the dog.³ This is to see how severe the heartworm disease is to better determine the treatment needed. These scans together can cost between $400 and $1,200.²

Heartworm treatment medication for dogs

Heartworm treatment for dogs typically includes doxycycline, an antibiotic designed to weaken heartworms, and steroids (to help reduce inflammation) administered over several months. These medications can cost between $10 and $150 each, with the doxycycline likely costing the most.²

End-stage treatment can involve rounds of melarsomine, an injection administered on day 60, 90, and 91 of treatment, that work to kill the adult heartworms. Depending on your dog’s weight, these injections will run you anywhere from $500 to $1,500.^2,3

Surgery

If a dog’s heartworm disease is severe, such as if they develop caval syndrome, surgery to remove the heartworms is the only treatment that can save the dog’s life. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) states that heartworm removal surgery for dogs is generally considered risky, and most dogs with caval syndrome die.³ The surgery can cost $3,000 – $6,000.²

Cat Heartworm Treatment Cost

While there are no approved medications to treat heartworm in cats, heartworm preventatives can reduce the risk of your cat contracting heartworm disease. If your cat develops heartworm disease, your vet can help manage symptoms.⁴

Exact care costs depend on your treatment plan, which will be designed to monitor symptoms and attempt to reduce severity. For instance, your cat may need to undergo diagnostic testing, like X-rays and ultrasounds to confirm the heartworms, which could cost in total between $300 and $750.^5,6

Ongoing care may involve steroids, oxygen therapy, cardiovascular drugs, and antibiotics to manage symptoms — though these likely won’t get rid of the heartworms — and the costs for these can vary greatly, from single-digits to over $1,000.^7,8

In some cases, surgery may be recommended to remove the heartworms. Although, much like with dogs, it will likely cost thousands of dollars, and some experts consider this a high-risk option.³

MetLife Pet Can Help You Cover Heartworm Prevention and Treatment Costs

Ensuring your pet takes their heartworm prevention medication on a monthly basis is one of the best ways to help protect them from heartworm disease. Preventative meds are also much less costly than treatment, with tablets typically costing between $6 and $18 per month.²

MetLife Pet can help you offset the costs of preventive care and treatment. With our Preventive Care add-on, you could be reimbursed for some of the cost of heartworm prevention medication.⁹ Also, our standard policy can typically help cover the cost of treatment for heartworms.

Get your free quote today, and discover coverage options.