Subcutaneous Furosemide Therapy for Chronic Management of Refractory Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs and Cats

Reduced efficacy of oral diuretics in the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) can be secondary to reduced enteral drug absorption. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of subcutaneous (SC) furosemide administration to control the signs of refractory CHF in dogs and cats and to assess the feasibility of this route of administration. The clinical records of 13 dogs and 17 cats with a history of refractory CHF treated with subcutaneous (SC) furosemide were reviewed retrospectively. Administration of SC furosemide was offered as an alternative therapy when animals experienced an unsatisfactory clinical response to oral diuretics despite multiple dose adjustments and when, for this reason, pet owners were considering euthanasia. The satisfactory control of the animal's breathing rate and effort and overall pet owner's satisfaction were observed in all cases. Following administration of SC furosemide, the median survival time was 106 (95% CI: 22-154) days in dogs and 89 (95% CI: 35 to 749) days in cats. This study showed that furosemide administered subcutaneously appears to be an efficacious and feasible therapeutic option for providing control of the signs of cardiac congestion in both dogs and cats with a previous unsatisfactory response to oral diuresis.