Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Irish Wolfhounds with early heart disease treated with pimobendan
By Vollmar, A C & Fox, P R·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2016·Small Animal Clinic (Wissen and Bonn Germany), United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Long-term Outcome of Irish Wolfhound Dogs with Preclinical Cardiomyopathy, Atrial Fibrillation, or Both Treated with Pimobendan, Benazepril Hydrochloride, or Methyldigoxin Monotherapy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 75 Irish Wolfhound dogs with early signs of heart disease, specifically dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and atrial fibrillation (AF), were treated with one of three medications: pimobendan, benazepril, or methyldigoxin. The dogs receiving pimobendan had a significantly longer time before developing congestive heart failure or sudden death compared to those on the other two medications. Specifically, dogs on pimobendan lasted an average of about 65 months before facing serious heart issues, while those on benazepril and methyldigoxin had shorter times. This suggests that pimobendan may be the best option for managing early heart problems in Irish Wolfhounds.
People also search for: Irish Wolfhound heart disease treatment · pimobendan for dog heart problems · atrial fibrillation in dogs treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in the Irish Wolfhound (IW). However, the benefit of medical treatment in IW dogs with preclinical DCM, atrial fibrillation (AF), or both has not been demonstrated. OBJECTIVES: Compare the time to develop congestive heart failure (CHF) or sudden death in IW dogs with preclinical DCM, AF, or both receiving monotherapy with pimobendan, methyldigoxin, or benazepril hydrochloride. ANIMALS: Seventy-five client-owned IW dogs. METHODS: Irish Wolfhound dogs were prospectively randomized to receive pimobendan (Vetmedin®), benazepril HCl (Fortekor®), or methyldigoxin (Lanitop®) monotherapy in a 1:1:1 ratio in a blinded clinical trial. The prospectively defined composite primary endpoint was onset of CHF or sudden death. To assure stringent evaluation of treatment effect, data from dogs complying with the study protocol were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-six IW fulfilling the study protocol included 39 males, 27 females; median (interquartile range) age, 4.0 years (3.0-5.0 years) and weight, 70.0 kg (63.0-75.0 kg). Primary endpoint was reached in 5 of 23 (21.7%) IW receiving pimobendan, 11 of 22 (50.0%) receiving benazepril HCl, and 9 of 21 (42.9%) receiving methyldigoxin. Median time to primary endpoint was significantly longer for pimobendan (1,991 days; 65.4 months) compared to methyldigoxin (1,263 days; 41.5 months; P = .031) or benazepril HCl-(997 days; 32.8 months; P = .008) treated dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: In IW dogs with preclinical DCM, AF or both, pimobendan monotherapy significantly prolonged time to onset of CHF or sudden death than did monotherapy with benazepril HCl or methyldigoxin.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26936799/