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Please note that any comments expressed in these forum posts do not reflect the opinions of Medical News Today in any way at all. Opinions posted in this forum do not constitute medical
advice, which should be sought from qualified medical advisers. Disclaimer.
Pimobendan Has Done Wonders For My Dog!
posted by Laura Matthews on 28 Feb 2008 at 6:17 am
I just wanted to submit a personal experience about this drug.
One of our whippets - Isis - was having fun running in the yard when she slipped and fell. She did something to her back and hear rear end was paralyzed. Steroids was the standard treatment for that so she received it. We didn't realize that she had the beginning of a heart condition though... so 2 days later almost died as steroids and heart conditions don't mix.
Although she was still paralyzed, we put Isis on the traditional meds. We did a lot of physical therapy with her for the paralysis and she's walking and running again now too! Isis' heart did fine for 4 months.
Then she had an episode in the middle of the night. We called our vet and they told us a "new" (for the US) drug had finally been approved by the FDA and they wanted to put her on it. That was 6 months ago now and she's doing wonderfully!! I have her story of recovery on our whippets' blog if you want to read the details: http://loveourwhippets.blogspot.com/search/label/Isis
We are SO glad that this drug has become available in the US as it has brought us more time to love our Girl Isis!!!
Read the news article that this opinion was posted about:
Pimobendan Can Prolong Lives Of Dogs With Heart Failure Up To Nine Months, Study Says
Follow Up 14 Months Later... Pimobendan Has Done Wonders For My Dog!
posted by Laura Matthews on 23 Apr 2009 at 7:35 am
I just thought I'd post a follow up on how Isis is doing. It's been 14 months since I posted our experiences with Pimobendan. It's now been 18 months since Isis was put on the drug and she's still doing GREAT!
She had some blood work done last fall to see how her liver & kidneys are doing. Although the results were on the "high side of normal" the results were still within the normal range (and she is still on digoxin, enalapril, & fuerosemide as was prescribed since her accident) She continues to amaze the vets :)
Pimobendan for my dog
posted by Toni Racalto on 12 July 2010 at 8:15 am
My little doxie dog Sammie went into an acute episode of heart failure at the beginning of June and my vets put him on enalapril, & fuerosemide. Today, he will be started on Pimobendan 1.25 mgs. one and one half tab twice a day. After reading about this medicine, and what it has done for other dogs, I am encouraged that it will help my Sammie also. I will write an update at a later time.
PIMOBENDAN MIRACLE DRUG - MIRACLE DOG IT'S BEEN ALMOST 2 YEARS!!....
posted by christina on 19 Sept 2010 at 9:24 pm
My dog Pookie a 10-1/2 yr old Yorkie/Chih collapsed from congestive heart failure (CHF) Dec 21, 2008, she almost died. She has a heart murmur, mitral valve disease, high blood pressure, and GI disorder. The vets said she was in late stage 4 Heart disease and would probably not live longer than 6-9 months...the vet put Pookie on a high Lasix and benazpril. Pookie had repeated heart failure even with her diet change and sodium restriction...we were in and out of the emergency room for a couple of months until I read online about "Scrappy's story" a dog in the UK who had CHF - and put their dog on Pimobenden.
I asked my Vet about it and we put her on it right away. She's doing much better. We call her my little miracle dog. Pookie just turned 12 yrs old on August 14, 2010. This December will mark 2 year anniversary of her heart failure. Pookie has surpassed all doctors expectations. Pookie is still alive today.And I pray she lives another several months. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING PIMOBENDAN for the U.S. YOU'VE GIVEN MY DOG SEVERAL MORE MONTHS TO LIVE. THANK YOU!! FOREVER GREATFUL, CHRISTINA AND POOKIE SALAVERRIA
Awesome Drugs!
posted by Susan on 08 Nov 2010 at 10:00 am
My little Homer, my rescued pom of about 9 yrs, went to the vets last week to have his teeth cleaned. No cleaning was done because during the preop the vet found congestive heart disease and early stages of kidney diseases. A few years ago, I lost my beloved PenPen to kidney failure. This was going to be hard. Immediately, the vet put Homer on Pimobendan and Enalapril ... and he's been on this for a few days. I was thinking of taking him off because he refuses to eat the Prescription Diet k/d food, and has already bitten me several times when trying to get the meds into him. But after reading these articles, i'll get my fingers bit forever if necessary! Also gonna do more research on other foods for him. Thanks to all who took time to write and give me their stories.
Pimobendan works for our dog!
posted by Lissa on 29 Dec 2010 at 6:50 pm
We have a 16 yr old chihuahua/terrier mix girl named Sassy. About 4 yrs ago, Sassy was diagnosed with CHF and also a collapsing trachea. Because of her heart she was not a candidate for surgery on her trachea. The Vet placed her on a combination of meds for the CHF and the trachea. She still had 'episodes' where she would have trouble breathing, got weak, and was coughing. Then the Vet finally added Pimobendan. The vet said that Sassy probably wouldn't be alive too much longer at that time, which was about four years ago! She is still happy, loving, playful, and a enjoying her 'golden' years. We are just grateful for the time that we have had and do have with her. Amazing how attached we are to our fur-babies!!! As long as she is happy and enjoying life, we'll keep going!
pill pockets
posted by Margaret on 07 Jan 2011 at 9:31 am
Susan, give your dog its meds in Greenies Pill Pockets. My little Shihtzu takes his heart medicine with them and he loves it. He thinks they are treats!!!
Going Strong 3+ Years - My English Bull Terrier
posted by Denise on 22 Jan 2011 at 11:14 pm
My English Bull Terrier was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in October 2007. At that time he was just shy of 4 years old. His condition was so dire that they didn't know if he would survive the week, and certainly no more than a couple of months. It is now January 2011 and he is still going strong. He just had his 7th birthday in November. He is on pimobendan, lasix, diltiazem ER, spironolactone, benazepril and digoxen. We have spent an outrageous amount of money, but it's worth every penny. You would never know anything was wrong with him. His doctors are amazed. We are thrilled!
So far so good
posted by Kelly Allen on 25 Jan 2011 at 7:37 pm
My 8-9 yr old chi mix Charlie was diagnosed with mitral valve disease in Oct 2010. He was started on Enalapril and Spiralactone at that time. On 1/22/11, he was rushed to the vet with a very high resp rate. He spent two nights there and was diagnosed with CHF and pneumonia. I took him to his cardiologist on 1/24 ( yesterday) and he was started on lasix, Viagra, and pimobendan.
His resp rate is still high but lower than yesterday but his hr is down. I have home oxygen bc I did not want him stay in the hospital anymore. He's a nervous dog and that is bad for his already bad heart. I read all the above comments and hope I can post some more good news about this drug. He has a follow up appt for a repeat echo on 1/31. Keep your fingers crossed! It did warm my heart to hear all these great stories:)
Kali's Quality of Life
posted by Rosie on 21 Mar 2011 at 12:54 pm
My bichon frise, Kali, was 11 when she was diagnosed with a heart murmur. In Sept 2010 she had difficulty breathing, a collapsing incident and was diagnosed with CHF and degenerative valve disease. She was hospitalized and placed in an oxygen cage. I almost lost her. Her food was changed and she was put on furosemide, enalapril and pimobendan. In Dec 2010 she started again with breathing difficulty and spironolactode was added to her meds. Kali turned 12 in Jan 2011 and is doing quite well with her quality of life. Thank goodness there is help for our pets that we love like children. Every day I have her is a bonus!!
Over two and a half Years....still going strong
posted by Lawrence on 03 Sept 2011 at 6:13 am
Miss Dube' had a litter of pups, 4 weeks later mother and pups were brought in for exams, all seven pups were fine, but Missy had been diagnosed with an increased heart mermurer and further tests showed CHF. Dr. Linda Schnieder DVM started Missy on 5mg Primobendan (Vetmedin) and fuerosemide. I was told this should prolong her life for up to a year, larger dogs, she is a Boxer had limited feed back in the U.S. at the time. It has been two and a half years since the start up of the medication, fuerosemide had been decreased by the new Vet. and Miss Dube' is out running her 5 minute burst and going for walks and still doing well.
Side Effects of Hear Medicine
posted by Helen Mitchell on 03 Oct 2011 at 7:28 pm
I have a mixed Lhasa Apso/Terrier mix that is about 11 1/2 years old and 11 1/2 lbs. She fainted twice within two weeks and was diagnosed with valve disease when she had the second feinting spell. She was put on Lasix, Enalapril and Pimobendan. Within 2 days she was unable to hold her urine and was vomiting. My regular vet had me start her on Pepcid and to stop the Lasix and Enalapril. She was doing better so the Cardiologist said to start up the Enalapril again and continue with the Pimobendan.
She did fine with only 1/4 Tab of Enalapril but when I increased it to the 1/2 Tab of Enalapril, she has vomited and can't hold her water overnight. The vet put her on Estrogen but didn't help with the increased dose of Enalapril. I am considering stoping the Enalapril and giving her only Pimobendan which doesn't appear to be making her sick. I would like to know if other people have had negative side effects when giving their dog other meds with the Pimobendan.
Just started Barney on this med today
posted by Joyce on 14 Nov 2011 at 3:49 pm
I am hopeful that this will help my 17 year old Cocker Spanial, Barney. I will let you know how it goes. He has been on Enelapril and Lasix but they have not been working.
getting meds into dog
posted by Donna on 17 Nov 2011 at 4:51 am
Hi just wondered if you had tried putting peanut butter on the tablets my dog loves it, keeps the tablet from being spat out
Pain After Taking Vetmedin
posted by Aj on 17 Nov 2011 at 10:50 pm
My 14 year old mini-poodle has been on Vetmedin for over 2 years and his heart has done fantastically! I can't say enough good about how he went from heart failure to sounding like a normal heart during exams. He is at times been on lasix and enalapril was just added.
The problem is about 4 months I noticed that 1 hour after taking his pill he would begin to cry in pain, moan, get restless, then even bark in pain. It is horrible to see. We thought it might be his arthritis getting worse, but his vet did not think so. This pain continues but we are terrified to stop it. Have any of you seen pain reactions after the pill, if so what was it determined to be and what did you do about it? We love him and can't believe he is now dealing with this after such a battle with the CHF!
Adverse reaction to Pimobendan - My Jack Russel/Beagle
posted by Connie on 20 Nov 2011 at 9:39 am
My 12 yr old, diabetic Jack Russell/Beagle mix was diagnosed w/pulmonary hypertension and placed on the recommended dose of Pimobendan. After 3-4 doses, he was exeperiencing severe side effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite. I stopped the medicine, and within 24-36 hours the symptoms subsided and he started to feel better. I read the drug facts on this medicine, and was stunned to discover that Pimobendan has NOT been tested on diabetics, and has what I would consider a high incidence of these (and other) side effects -- 30-38% of dogs experiencing one or more of the above side effects. CAUTION: Please read all the facts before you give your dog this medicine and watch closely for adverse reactions.
My dog taking this medication
posted by barb on 03 Dec 2011 at 4:45 pm
My 12 year old lab went from no movement or energy to a brand new puppy. I started giving him the medicine and immediately we started to see an improvement. I would recommend this drug its been 2 months and he it living his life again.
Dog has rapid heart rate at night
posted by Leigh on 14 Jan 2012 at 3:47 pm
This is more of a question than opinion. My dog just diagnosed with all of this after collapsing two days ago. Advanced heart failure: dilitative cardiomyopathy. She's a 4 yr old golden retriever. We are devastated. We put her on Vetimed but her last two nights her heart rate is insane and feels like her heart is ready to burst. During the day, it's not so bad. Not sure if her collapse was a heart attack or faint. Either way, does anyone know how or what I could do to slow her heart down at night so she is not so distressed? I literally hold her heart in my hands at night and hope it doesn't burst. X-ray showed decomposing of enlarged heart. I just want to make her comfortable and prolong her time if possible. Any suggestions?!?!!?? Thank you all. Glad all your babies are ok right now.
Pimobenden
posted by Phyllis on 21 Jan 2012 at 5:06 pm
I have great faith inn this medication have seen a great improvement in my lady.shes a cavalier king chas spaniel.she has mvd.she had trouble breathing rushed to emergency,was admitted to hospital .was in oxygen cage spent 2and a half days in hospital.She was on enarlipril and lasix...cardiologist added the pimobenden and big difference.A word of caution to anyone who has a dog with a murmur or any type of heart problem go to a cardiologist only.they can help them and hopefully then you will not have to experience you little one go into congestive heart failure....the meds along with the pimobenden is working thank god...only a cardiologist should and really only can prescribe this med,hope this is helpful to someone..good luck to us all.and I hope and pray we have our little ones for a long time
A Normal Life
posted by Pamela on 21 Feb 2012 at 12:07 am
Our Papillon Rusty was put on Pimobendan and Lasix a year ago after being diagnosed with CHF. He was already 12 years old, but was still enjoying his life too much for us to give him up so soon.
He responded very well to this medication in a short period of time and we have been able to spend quality time with him even though we knew his heart wouldn't last forever. Even so we are grateful for the FDA's approval of this drug and to the company who developed it. I worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry my whole life and I understand what it takes to develop these medications.
Tonight Rusty has finally taken a turn for the worse and we may not have much longer to enjoy his happy face, but we are still thankful that he has had a normal life span and a full one.
I hope others do not hesitate to put your dog on this medication as it really does prolong the quality of the life of the dog.
We Will Be At Peace
posted by Pamela on 29 Feb 2012 at 10:30 am
We will be at peace knowing we did all we could for our precious dog. Rusty passed away this morning Feb 29,2012. He had a great adventurous life for a little dog. He went everywhere with us and was loved by everyone. We will miss him watching TV with us and barking at all the bad guys and animals. Thank you again to Bohringer for making this last year a good one by producing this medication.
My dog diagnosed with Sick Sinus syndrome
posted by Blanca on 06 Apr 2012 at 12:52 pm
On April 2011 we rushed my min. shauzer to vet hospital as she was having some episodes that looked as though she was epileptic. After Xrays and Eco done she was diagnosis with Sick Sinus syndrome. She had to get a heart pacemaker immediatly. This was placed and she was doing just fine until last Monday, April 2, 2012, almost a year later. She wasnt her usual self anymore, did not want to walk, eat and was breathing heavily. We had to take her back to the Cardiologist which was 2.5 hour drive. She was such a good sport all the way there. They did another Echocardiogram which showed severe enlargment of both right atrium and ventricle. The tricuspid valve appears to be severely degenerative with a ruptured chordae. her belly and lungs where full of fluid. they had to drain out about 550 ml of fluid. the vet told us at best she could survive 1 year, if and only if the meds work. She is currently on Furosemide, benazepril and pimobendan. Its only been 4 days, but my Maggie is a tough one. She has regained her strengh, she's walking, eating and drinking lots of water. We are very hopefull she will be with us for much more time. Thanks to the Pimobendan we can continue to have our furry little baby. Thanks for all the comments posted they made me laugh and cry and give me more hope. Maggie was left to die in a kill shelter and the same day they where going to put her down we rescued her. I vowed to give her a great life with lots of love and I will continue to do so until its time for her to be a little angel in heaven.
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