What are the five categories of cardiac medications?

Types of Heart Medications

• Anticoagulants.
• Antiplatelet Agents and Dual Antiplatelet Therapy.
• ACE Inhibitors.
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers.
• Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitors.
• Beta Blockers.
• Calcium Channel Blockers.
• Cholesterol-lowering medications.

What medication is given to dogs for heart disease?

Most veterinary cardiologists use furosemide; an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor like enalapril, benazepril or lisinopril; and pimobendan for management of the most common forms of congestive heart failure, said John Rush, DVM, MS, Dipl.

What class of drug is Vetmedin?

Pimobendan (Vetmedin—Boehringer Ingelheim), a benzimidazole-pyridazinone drug, is classified as an inodilator because of its nonsympathomimetic, nonglycoside positive inotropic (through myocardial calcium sensitization) and vasodilator properties.

What medications are used to treat heart murmurs in dogs?

Calcium channel blockers are often prescribed for dogs with abnormal heart rhythms. They may also be used to slow the heartbeat and cause relaxation of the heart muscle. Pimobendan. Pimobendan is a veterinary-specific drug that is used to help a dog’s heart pump more effectively.

What kind of drugs do they give dogs for heart failure?

pimobendan – phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor used to manage heart failure in dogs; pirlimycin – antimicrobial; ponazuril – anticoccidial; praziquantel – treatment of infestations of the tapeworms Dipylidium caninum, Taenia pisiformis, Echinococcus granulosus; prazosin – sympatholytic used in hypertension and abnormal muscle contractions

How is digoxin used to treat heart failure in dogs?

Diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker that is used to help control certain heart rhythm disturbances and to promote heart muscle relaxation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (especially in cats). In dogs with atrial fibrillation (a rapid, irregular, abnormal heart rhythm) it may be used with digoxin to slow the rate of the heartbeat.

How to diagnose heart disease in dogs and cats?

Diagnosing heart disease and/or heart failure in the dog and cat requires a combination of several different testing methods. A physical exam can often pick up a heart murmur (the sound of blood moving turbulently through the heart) or an arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm).

Can a dog with carnitine deficiencies take a heart medication?

In patients with normal carnitine levels in the bloodstream and heart muscle, this will likely not provide any additional benefit. However, without a biopsy of the heart muscle, patients with carnitine deficiencies cannot be identified, so predicting who will respond to this medication is difficult.