Our question this week was:

My cat has heart disease and my vet prescribed pimobendan. What is it?

Bernard M., Minneapolis

Answer

Hi Bernard– thanks for your email. You asked "what is pimobendan". Pimobendan is a heart medication that also goes by the name Vetmedin. It has been used for years in Europe but has only been recently approved for use in the United States.

We have a drug profile on the site that gives you details on the drug.

To summarize – this drug works to lower the heart rate and help the heart contract better. It has been shown to increase quality of life and survival in some conditions.

An article that might be helpful to you is Pimobendan (Vetmedin®).

Best of luck!


Dr. Jon




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