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About CHF

Estimates indicate that 10% of all dogs seen in primary care veterinary practices have heart disease.¹ As dogs age, the prevalence of heart disease reaches more than 60%.²

The 2 principal causes of acquired heart disease are:

Atrioventricular valvular insufficiency (AVVI), a disease that affects the heart valves. AVVI accounts for about 75% of canine heart disease cases in the US.^1,3
Dilated Cardiomyopathy⁴, a disease that directly affects the heart muscle.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) can affect dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds, but most commonly occurs in older dogs. If not diagnosed and treated properly, CHF can cause a rapid deterioration in health that ultimately results in death.

References:

1. Atkins C, Bonagura J, Ettinger S, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of canine chronic valvular heart disease. J Vet Intern Med. 2009;23(6):1142–1150. 2. Rush JE. Chronic valvular heart disease in dogs. Proceedings from the 26th Annual Waltham Diets/OSU Symposium for the Treatment of Small Animal Cardiology; October 19–20, 2002. Available at: www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WALTHAMOSU2002&PID=2988. Accessed January 21, 2011. 3. Sisson D. Valvular heart disease in dogs. Proceedings from the WSAVA 2002 Congress; October 3–6, 2002; Granada, Spain. Available at: www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2002&PID=2532. Accessed January 21, 2011. 4. O’Grady MR, Minors SL, O’Sullivan ML, Horne R. Effect of pimobendan on case fatality rate in Doberman pinschers with congestive heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy. J Vet Intern Med. 2008;22(4):897–904.

Important safety information

VETMEDIN should not be given in case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic stenosis, or any other clinical condition where an augmentation of cardiac output is inappropriate for functional or anatomical reasons. The safety of VETMEDIN has not been established in dogs with asymptomatic heart disease or in heart failure caused by etiologies other than atrioventricularvalvular insufficiency or dilated cardiomyopathy. The safe use of VETMEDIN has not been evaluated in dogs younger than 6 months of age, dogs with congenital heart defects, dogs with diabetes mellitus or other serious metabolic diseases, dogs used for breeding, or pregnant or lactating bitches. Use only in dogs with clinical evidence of heart failure. The most common side effects reported in field studies were poor appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, dyspnea, azotemia, weakness, and ataxia. If side effects should occur, pet owners should contact their veterinarian. Please refer to the Full Prescribing Information here.