The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, was busy this spring approving medications for dogs with heart disease.
Pimobendan [pea-moh-BEN-din] and torsemide [TORE-suh-mide] were approved for dogs in congestive heart failure — that’s fluid buildup due to heart disease, when it’s caused by myxomatous [mix-OH-mah-tus] mitral valve disease, or a thickened heart valve.
Pimobendan was also approved for dogs in congestive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy, which involves an abnormal heart muscle. Both conditions are diagnosed with imaging tests.
Torsemide has conditional approval in combination with other medications used to treat congestive heart failure. That means it can be safely while its effectiveness is studied.