Compounded pimobendan for canine chronic degenerative mitral valve disease and pulmonary hypertension

Pimobendan (Vetmedin) is an effective treatment for canine chronic degenerative mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy. In an off-label use, it may also be of benefit for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in dogs. In this report, we describe the effects of a palatable customized oral form of pimobendan used with both compounded and commercially manufactured conventional drug therapy to treat degenerative mitral valve disease and pulmonary hypertension in two small dogs. For those patients, who resisted many types of oral medication, the standard manufactured dose of pimobendan was inappropriate. Formulations of the preparations used to treat the patients described in this report are provided for easy reference. It should be noted that at the time of this writing, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany), the manufacturer of pimobendan, has expressed concern about the stability of that agent in aqueous compounded form. To our knowledge, no current data confirming the stability or bioequivalence of compounded pimobendan exist.