Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pimobendan treatment in 170 cats with heart failure 2006-2010
By Macgregor, John M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2011·Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Use of pimobendan in 170 cats (2006-2010).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 170 cats with heart disease, including 164 with congestive heart failure, were treated with a medication called pimobendan to see how well they tolerated it alongside other heart medications. Most cats did well, with only a small number experiencing side effects, and one cat had to stop the medication due to severe reactions. On average, the cats lived about 151 days after starting pimobendan, showing that it can be a helpful option for managing heart failure in cats.
People also search for: cat heart disease treatment · pimobendan for cats · congestive heart failure in cats · side effects of pimobendan in cats
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe the therapeutic use of pimobendan in cats, describe the patient population to which it was administered, document potential side effects and report the clinical course following administration of pimobendan in conjunction with standard heart failure therapy. It is hypothesized that cats with advanced heart disease including congestive heart failure from a variety of causes will tolerate pimobendan with a minimum of side effects when used in treatment in conjunction with a variety of other medications. ANIMALS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventy client owned cats with naturally occurring heart disease, one hundred and sixty four of which had congestive heart failure. Medical records were reviewed and owners and referring veterinarians were contacted for follow-up data. Data collected included pimobendan dose, other medications administered concurrently, data collected at physical examination, presence or absence of heart failure, adverse effects, classification of heart disease, echocardiographic data and survival time. The data were analyzed for significance between the initial visit and any follow-up visits. RESULTS: All cats were treated with pimobendan. The median pimobendan dose was 0.24 mg/kg q 12 h. Pimobendan was used in combination with multiple concurrent medications including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics and anti-thrombotics. Five cats (3.0%) had potential side effects associated with pimobendan. One cat (0.6%) had presumed side effects severe enough to discontinue pimobendan use. Median survival time for 164 cats with congestive heart failure after initiation of pimobendan was 151 days (range 1-870). CONCLUSION: Pimobendan appears to be well tolerated in cats with advanced heart disease when used with a variety of concurrent medications. Randomized controlled studies need to be performed to accurately assess whether it is efficacious for treatment of congestive heart failure in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22030289/