Current use of pimobendan in canine patients with heart disease.

Pimobendan is a drug with both inotropic and vasodilatory properties and is widely used for the treatment of heart failure in dogs. The best evidence regarding its efficacy is derived from several clinical studies of dogs with the two most common conditions that result in heart failure: dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD). The main studies addressing the effectiveness of pimobendan in dogs with DCM and DVMD are discussed in this article.