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MVD meds-times are a changing

Barbara Nixon

Well-known member
I took Monty for his annual vaccination (our vet has now gone to the trienniel fo some vaccines) and his 12 week checkup , as he is on heart meds (Fortekor and Fortekor).

The vet said that the results of the international reserch into heart disease is due to be published soon, but a leak by reliable sources indicates that Vetmedin is now the prefered starter treatment, with Fortekor as the backup, when things get worse, rather than the other way round. With this in mind, and with advice from an eminent cardiologist (Will asked him, regardless of price and convenience, what he would give his own dog ) it's been decided to transfer Fortekor patients onto Vetmedin, still with Frusemide. Will is waiting for the full report as a more gentle alternative to Frusemide, was also discussed.

For anyone already using Vetmedin in capsule form, these are being discontinued and replaced by tablets similar to the Fortekor ones.
 
Our vets have followed this procedure since Declan was diagnosed in the autumn of 05.

Fortekor was added in fairly late, around the time of the Corventyl. He was on Vetmedin and Frusemide from the start.
 
Will said there have been opposing schools of thought, among specialists for some time. Many prefered Fortekor, because they were familiar with drugs of it's type, but Vetmedin was the 'new boy' with no track record. However, recent research, backed by the cavalier Helping Hearts etc, has made them change their minds. Apparently Vetmedin, first , prolongs quality life, on the whoe, but some dogs do better with Fortekor first. Mind you the Fortekor/Vetmedin regime gave Izzy two years, so, perhaps ,he was one of the latter cases.
 
The new Vetmedin tablets are palatable ones, so easy to give - they will take them without any butter etc.

Peaches was on Vetmedin straight away and that was over 2 years ago...
 
I use pate anyway, as the Frusemide may be bitter. Teddy's Atopica, ceratinly must taste aweful, because the capsules stink.
 
May I have permission to cross post this information? There is discussion on another board I am non with regard to when to medicate.
 
There is, so far as we know , still dispute between specialists, (there may be an answer in the pending report) , as to whether medication, before symptoms is of use. I notice that some info sites on the Vetmedin, say that it shouldn't be used before symptoms.

My vet doesn't believe in medicating before symptoms and when I took Monty to see him, after Monty began to have a slight cough, he said that he was a borderline case for medication, but that as symptoms were showing, there woud be no harm. Fortekor did appear to slow his heart slightly, but it was up again yesterday. However, the surgery was very warm and stuffy, causing him to pant and he had been on the table for some time, as he had his annual vaccination etc (He's not happy when on the table)
 
This is interesting. :) I have a cardiologist appointment for Geordie at Ohio State University on July 17. I will bring this topic up and let you know what they tell me. I think I read somewhere that the vet needs to see an ultrasound of the heart before they make a decision as to which medicine, because in some cases the heart can get overworked and cause the valve struts to fail sooner. That may be an older study, though.
 
As I understand it, Vetmedin and the ace inhibitors, like Fortekor, work in different ways. The latter slow the heart rate and the former open up the vessels so pumping the blood needs less effort.
 
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