Preferences of veterinarians for drugs to treat heart disease in dogs and cats

SUMMARY Responses (473) were collated from a questionnaire sent to 5054 veterinarians in Australia enquiring about drug preferences for treating cardiac disease in dogs and cats. When treating a small breed dog with endocardiosis and mild left congestive heart failure, 74% of 472 respondents used a diuretic, 67% a theophylline derivative, 27% a vasodilator and 20% a positive inotrope. Frusemide was the preferred diuretic and digoxin the preferred inotrope, but vasodilator use varied. Low sodium diets were “often recommended” by 71% of respondents. Propranolol was preferred to diltiazem for treating feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Digoxin was clearly preferred for treating supraventricular dysrhythmias, while lignocaine and digoxin were preferred equally for ventricular dysrhythmias. Respondents appeared more willing than US veterinarians to use theophylline derivatives and prasozin, and less inclined to employ nitrates, hydralazine, inotropes other than digoxin, and low sodium diets.