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Effect of oral administration of pimobendan in cats with heart failure

Sonya G Gordon1, Ashley B Saunders, Risa M Roland

  • 1Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA. sgordon@cvm.tamu.edu

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
|June 23, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Pimobendan was generally well tolerated in cats with heart failure and systolic dysfunction. However, cats with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve may experience hypotension, requiring further study for optimal dosing in feline congestive heart failure.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Cardiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Feline heart failure, particularly with ventricular systolic dysfunction, presents a significant clinical challenge.
  • Limited therapeutic options exist for managing this condition in cats.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effects of orally administered pimobendan on clinical and echocardiographic parameters in cats with heart failure.
  • To assess the survival time of cats treated with pimobendan for ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 27 client-owned cats diagnosed with heart failure and ventricular systolic dysfunction.
  • Cats received oral pimobendan at a mean dosage of 0.26 ± 0.08 mg/kg every 12 hours.
  • Data were collected from medical records, including history, diagnostics, treatments, and survival time, with additional follow-up via telephone interviews.

Main Results:

  • The median survival time for cats treated with pimobendan was 167 days.
  • Pimobendan was generally well-tolerated across various etiologies of heart failure, including unclassified, dilated, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathies.
  • One cat with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve developed severe hypotension and was excluded from survival analysis.

Conclusions:

  • Pimobendan appears to be a potentially safe and effective treatment for feline heart failure with ventricular systolic dysfunction.
  • Caution is advised in cats with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve due to the risk of hypotension.
  • Further research is necessary to establish optimal pimobendan dosages and confirm its efficacy in treating feline congestive heart failure.
Abstract

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