As much as your lovely pooch seems like the strongest creature in the world, know that dogs can also suffer from several conditions and diseases such as heart failure. If your dog has been diagnosed with this disease, it means that its heart is not working as efficiently as it should. But this doesn’t mean you should panic, since with the proper dog medicines and regular monitoring this disease can be successfully managed and your lovely pooch can still lead a happy life.
Heart Failure Symptoms
As we said before, heart failure in dogs occurs when the heart’s muscles or valves stop working efficiently which leads to delivering not enough oxygenated blood to the vital organs. If this occurs, your dog may start changing its usual behaviour, such as:
- being tired more frequently and refusing to go out for walks;
- struggling to take a breath and breathing at a fast rate, especially when in a resting state;
- having a distended abdomen;
- coughing up blood, especially in the mornings or at nights;
- losing weight and being less interested in its meals;
- collapsing or fainting.
If you notice that your little furry friend is manifesting any of these symptoms, it’s best to consult with your vet and follow their further instructions.
Can a Dog Recover From Heart Failure?
Once your vet runs all the essential blood tests, X-rays, ultrasounds and ECGs and diagnoses your dog with heart failure, know that unfortunately there’s not a permanent cure for this disease. But don’t worry, since like we said before, it’s possible to maintain a healthy status as long as your dog receives the proper pet medical supplies and its condition is regularly monitored by the vet.
In fact, there’re two types of heart failures in dogs: Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) when your dog has an abnormal heart muscle and Mitral Valve Disease when your dog is suffering from abnormal heart valves. These diseases are commonly treated with pimobendan which is known to increase the blood supply and the strength of the heart’s contractions, dilates arteries and veins and decreases the blood pressure the heart is contracting inside. This results in a much stronger and more efficient heart and a healthier cardiovascular system overall.
However, have in mind that pimobendan is not a licensed medication for cats or any other pet, so make sure you don’t give it unless you have a pet prescription, since it can permanently harm your pet’s well being.
Where to Buy Pimobendan Medication for Heart Failure in Dogs?
If you had to run to your closest pet medication pharmacy to get your pet prescription meds for your little pooch, know that nowadays’ technology and the pet industry trends made it possible to get those medications delivered straight to your door. So, if you’re still afraid of the Covid-19 pandemic, or simply want to stay at home and spend more time with your little fragile pooch, then don’t hesitate to choose a reliable pet meds supplier and get your veterinary medications online.
When we say a reliable pet med supplier, we think about the businesses that are supplied only by the Australian veterinary wholesalers and Australian registered pharmacies. This way, you can order pet medical supplies online and have the peace of mind that you’re getting medications that are registered with the Australian government (TGA or APVMA) and manufactured by an Australian registered compound pharmacist, and therefore 100% safe for your lovely pooch.
Also, have in mind that every credible online pet medicine shop will require your vet’s prescription, so make sure you obtain one so you can conveniently upload it or e-mail a scanned copy to your supplier before you throw yourself to searching for the prescribed dog medication.
But aside from these shops not delivering any pet medical supplies without a prescription, have in mind that they’ll also require you to send them your original pen signed document, to ensure maximum safety and prevent misusing their services. But once you provide them with all the prescriptions and documents they require, you can rest assured that you’ll have a pimobendan therapy delivered in no time while you’re spending time and taking care of your lovely furry friend.
When it comes to the Australian market, pimobendan for treating heart failure in dogs can be mostly found as “Cardisure” tablets that come in different dosages as well as different packaging amounts. However, “Cardisure” are mostly recommended by vets since they’re flavoured to make administration easier, as well as scored in quarters to additionally ease the entire process of giving your dog its meds.
Pimobendan Dosage
But whether your veterinarian prescribed “Cardisure”, or any other medication for your dog, the therapy should be started immediately after you receive them. And even though pimobendan is most commonly prescribed from 0.25 to 0.3mg per kg, twice a day- in the morning and at night, have in mind that your vet will dose it according to your dog’s breed, weight and age. Also, pimobendan should be given orally and one hour before feeding your dog.
If you accidentally forget to give your dog the prescribed dose, then don’t double it up next time to make up, but make sure you consult with your vet about what to do in such cases. Also, you should never stop or change the dosage of pimobendan on your own, since any minor change can lead to side effects.
However, note that this is only a guideline for the typical use of pimobendan in dogs, and mustn’t replace your veterinarian’s instructions about the proper dosage for treating your dog’s heart failure condition.
Pimobendan Side-Effects
When dosed properly, pimobendan is usually safe and well-tolerated by dogs, but this doesn’t mean that it can’t cause any side effects. Some dogs can experience vomiting and diarrhea, while some of them may struggle with reduced appetite, increased heart rate and even lethargy. If you still think that your dog isn’t taking its therapy well, then don’t hesitate to reach out and consult with your veterinarian.
But aside from consulting with your veterinarian, there’re a couple of things you can do to ease your dog’s life-long therapy and side effects of pimobendan. For instance, it’s always best to give your dog the recommended level of exercise to keep its heart “in shape”. Also, don’t forget to monitor its appetite and thirst, as well as its breathing rate while it is resting or sleeping. Some veterinarians even recommend monitoring your dog’s weight changes, since they can give a special diet if your dog’s constantly losing or putting on weight.