Break-through Drug for Heart Failure in Dogs Now Available in the Uni...( Vetmedin(R) proven to nearly double l...),Health

Vetmedin(R) proven to nearly double life expectancy of dogs with the most common heart condition

ST. JOSEPH, Mo., Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- A break-through drug to treat congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs is now available in the United States. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) is the exclusive manufacturer of Vetmedin(R) (pimobendan), which is the first new drug approved by the FDA in over a decade to treat CHF in dogs.

CHF is one of the most common heart problems in dogs, especially older, smaller breeds. Heart disease affects up to 11 percent of the almost 75 million dogs in the United States, and the incidence of heart disease could be as high as 60 percent in aged dogs. The majority of dogs die within one year after showing clinical signs of CHF.

While there is no cure for CHF, clinical study results have shown that dogs with the condition live longer and enjoy a higher quality of life when treated with Vetmedin. QUEST (Quality of Life and Extension of Survival Time), the largest clinical study of dogs with CHF ever conducted, revealed that dogs treated on Vetmedin lived nearly twice as long as those not treated with Vetmedin. On average, dogs on Vetmedin lived 267 days, versus 140 days for dogs who did not receive the new drug.

"Vetmedin is proven effective in prolonging the lives of dogs suffering from heart failure," said Sonya Gordon, DVM, DVSc, a veterinary cardiologist at Texas A&M University. "Once a veterinarian diagnoses heart failure in a dog, Vetmedin can immediately make the dog feel better and nearly double life expectancy."

CHF leads to excessive water and salt retention, causing fluid build-up in the lungs. Signs of CHF in dogs include a reduced willingness to walk or exercise, fatigue, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and coughing.

Vetmedin alleviates CHF symptoms by opening up blood vessels, thereby decrea
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