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A new drug to help us treat pets with heart disease has recently been made available. The
medicine, called Vetmedin (Pimobendan) is manufactured and sold through Boehringer-Ingelheim
and is available in 1.25 mg and 5.0 mg beef-flavored chewable tablets.
The medicine has very positive benefits for treating patients with heart disease, including
vasodilatation (reducing work load on the heart), increasing the strength of the heart's
contractions, and reducing oxygen needs of the heart muscle.
This drug is used extensively to treat patients with congestive heart failure due to mitral
valve insufficiency or cardiomyopathy (DCM). It can be used with Furosemide (Lasix) to help
stabilize those patients in moderate to moderately severe heart failure.
Our experience, here at Flowertown Animal Hospital, has shown that our heart patients have
marked improvements in the quality and extension of their lives.
Vetmedin may take the place of some of the older heart medications, such as Digitalis and
Enalapril. There are some side effects with Vetmedin, but, overall, we are very pleased with
how well our heart patients have responded to this new and vital medication.
Please visit the Vetmedin website for more information.
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