heart problems: treatment & management

Question 1

• Diuretics
• Restriction of sodium intake  
• ACE inhibitors: Enalapril  
• Diuretics: Furosemide
• Other heart meds:
- Digoxin
- Calcium channel blockers
- Beta blockers

Answer 1

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Question 2

• Enalapril: ACE inhibitor that dialates the vessels.
• Spironolactone: improve cardiac muscle function.
• Pimobendan: positive ionotrop that improves cardiac muscle function.
• Lasix: To treat pulmonary edema.

Answer 2

Dilated Cardiomyopathy Dogs

Question 3

• Melarsomine dihydrochloride (Immiticide): Kills the adult worms.
• Hospitalization during treatment to prevent stress.
• Treat R-CHF.
• Heart worm preventative drugs to kill the microfilaria.

Answer 3

heart worm

Question 4

• Heartworm preventative used to decrease the microfilaria for 3 to 4 months prior to Immiticide treatment.
• Used in dogs that are not critically ill.
• Idea is to kill the worms less than 4 months old that can’t be killed by Immiticide.
• Strict exercise limitation necessary to prevent pulmonary embolism from the dying parasites.

Answer 4

NEW heart worm

Question 5

• Treat cardiac abnormalities.  
• Drugs used include 
- diuretics (furosemide) 
- beta blockers (propanolol)
- calcium channel blockers (diltiazem) 
- vasodilators (enalapril)
- aspirin

Answer 5

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy