Heart medication dosage

[Danielle Smith]

Senior pig Flubs is still pootling away after his diagnosis of heart failure in January, however he's becoming much slower, unwilling to move, and generally "puddlier" in appearance indicating fluid build up. Hooting is now present on occasion and he's showing signs of diaphragmatic breating.Hes been thouroughly examined by the vet who confirms his heart failure is worsening.

We're maxed out on furosemide (5mg twice daily), but our dose of benazepril (Fortekor) has always been very low (0.05mg), compared to others on TGPF and GuineaLynx (I usually see around 1mg/kg quoted); my vet is following guidelines from BVSA exotic manual and Carpenters which say <0.1mg/kg. The vet has mentioned adding pimobendan (Vetmedin), but obviously once we do this we have no further medication we can give poor Flubs once he starts to go downhill again.

I was wondering about increasing his benazepril dose first to see if that helps and to that end, I'd just really like to hear about your heart pig medication regime and dosages! The vet has given her blessing for the doseage increase but only if I talk to others undergoing treatment first as she's the primary exotic vet in my county yet CHF in guineas isn't something she comes across much at all.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Most forum piggies on heart meds do much better with vetmedin for the longer term.

 

[YvonneBlue]

My piggy Georgie has recently been diagnosed the advanced heart failure. He weighs just under a kilo but a lot of that is water retention. His medication regime is as follows:

Foretokor (20mg in 20ml) - 0.3ml once a day
Frusol 20mg/5ml (there is something else on the label but it is not readable) - 0.4ml twice daily
4 x 5mg tabs of Vetmidin in 20mls of WFI - 0.4ml twice daily

He is now stable on these meds, he was even chasing Mavis around this morning. However, although he is eating well he is losing condition and has become quite bony. The vet tells me that this is caused by his inability to metabolise his food properly (not sure if this caused by the meds or the illness).

 

[Danielle Smith]

Hi!

Most forum piggies on heart meds do much better with vetmedin for the longer term.

Thanks @Wiebke, I have just started him on the Vetmedin. Fingers crossed he doesn't react badly to it!

My piggy Georgie has recently been diagnosed the advanced heart failure. He weighs just under a kilo but a lot of that is water retention. His medication regime is as follows:

Foretokor (20mg in 20ml) - 0.3ml once a day
Frusol 20mg/5ml (there is something else on the label but it is not readable) - 0.4ml twice daily
4 x 5mg tabs of Vetmidin in 20mls of WFI - 0.4ml twice daily

He is now stable on these meds, he was even chasing Mavis around this morning. However, although he is eating well he is losing condition and has become quite bony. The vet tells me that this is caused by his inability to metabolise his food properly (not sure if this caused by the meds or the illness).

This is much appreciated @YvonneBlue. The water retention is really something, I was amazed when we first got the diuretic injection and Flubs shed all his "water weight", he was so trim and compact! I hope Georgie continues to spend quality time with Mavis