Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Severe lung worm infection in kitten tracked by ultrasound and X-rays
By Swanstein, H K J et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2026·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Monitoring a severe Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection in a kitten with point-of-care ultrasound and radiography.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old male domestic shorthair kitten was brought to the vet because he was having severe trouble breathing. He was diagnosed with a lungworm infection caused by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. Despite receiving medication and supportive care, his breathing improved and worsened over time, but by Day 63, he showed significant recovery. The vet monitored his condition using various tests, including lung ultrasounds and X-rays, which revealed ongoing lung issues. Ultimately, the kitten's health improved with treatment and careful monitoring.
People also search for: kitten breathing problems · lungworm infection treatment in cats · kitten respiratory distress recovery
Abstract
A 4-month-old male intact domestic shorthair kitten was referred due to acute onset of severe respiratory distress. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus infection was diagnosed by Baermann technique. The kitten showed a fluctuating respiratory status despite anthelmintic and supportive therapy; severe initial distress followed by partial improvement, deterioration by Day 33 and marked recovery by Day 63. Monitoring included clinical examinations, oxygen saturation, faecal analysis, thoracic radiography and lung point-of-care ultrasound on Days 1, 10, 33 and 63. Lung ultrasound and thoracic radiographs consistently revealed diffusely distributed pulmonary disease and pleural involvement. Several pathological lung ultrasound features were identified, such as increased B-lines, subpleural nodules, lung consolidations with and without air-bronchograms, vascular sign and pleural line irregularity. This is the first report comparing lung ultrasound and thoracic radiography in a kitten with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41104485/