Many dogs may benefit from study findings

A major international study has, for the first time, revealed a clear survival benefit associated with the administration of Pimobendan in the pre-clinical phase of canine heart disease.

Researchers administered the drug to around 1000 Doberman pinschers with pre-clinical dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and found that it gave a significant increase in overall survival time for those dogs, delaying the onset of heart failure or sudden death.

The study, which was carried out between 2006 and 2011 by veterinary cardiologists from ten centres in the UK, USA and Canada, has been published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

DCM is the most common cause of heart failure in large breed dogs, with 25-50 per cent of Dobermans developing DCM during their lifetimes.

Professor Adrian Boswood from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), who took part in the study, said: “This high-quality and groundbreaking research is the first veterinary cardiology study to demonstrate the clear benefit of administering a drug to patients with DCM in the pre-clinical phase.
 
“It is exciting to be able to provide practitioners with a new treatment for dogs that are diagnosed with DCM, and owners with the opportunity to spend more time with their dog before they develop clinical signs and heart failure. We also hope that our findings will have wider benefits for all dogs diagnosed with DCM in the early stages of the disease."

Pet owners should contact their veterinary surgeon for advice on the best treatments for their pets.