Can I give my cat Vetmedin with food to prevent stomach upset?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vetmedin, most of the time, is taken well by most pets. However, if you are finding it difficult to administer in it's tablet form, you can crush the tablet and give with food. The only downside to this method is that your pet may not eat all of the food and there is no guarantee your pet is getting the full dose. You can try pill pockets, peanut butter or liver wurst to see if you can get your pet to take the Vetmedin in it's tablet form as well. I hope this helps!

Hello, thank you for your question. As a general rule I try to avoid breaking open capsules and spreading them on the food as this could mean that your dog doesn't always get the exact amount of medication. For example, if your dog didn't finish all of his meal how would you know exactly how much of the pimobendan medication he had received. To help your dog with the larger capsules you could try hiding it in a slice of deli meat/cheese or could try some peanut butter. Another option would be to try creating a small meatball of canned food with the capsule in the middle. Hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This should be ok. The other thing that I would suggest that works great is putting them in pill pockets which you can buy from your local pet store or online. They are very palatable so they tend to like them. You could also consider using tuna or any food he really likes. Good luck and have a great day!

It's best to get the medicine in him, especially if it is an antibiotic. If there is something your cat cannot resist, such as cheese, or yogurt, try giving it to him after you give the medicine. That way he will come to associate getting the pill with getting a treat. Yogurt is especially good if your cat is getting an antibiotic as it helps reestablish the gut flora that antibiotics remove. Just make sure the yogurt you give does not have any artificial sweeteners. Plain or vanilla is best. Not eating is a serious matter in cats. They cannot go more than a few days without eating or they risk liver damage. Try enticing your pet to eat with beef or chicken baby food that does not contain onion or garlic power as an ingredient. Onion and garlic causes anemia in dogs and cats. Warm it in the microwave for a few seconds. Stir it with your finger first to make sure there are no hot spots and that it isn't too hot. This makes it more aromatic and appealing to your pet. Wetting dry food or mixing wet food with low sodium chicken broth, also warmed, might entice your pet to eat. Some cats like to be petted while they eat, some want to be left alone. You'll know your cat's habits and be able to act accordingly.

Interesting question! The half life refers to clearance of the original drug from the blood circulation, some of this becomes bound inside cells and some gets broken down into metabolites which are also effective in their own right therefore the medication is effective for longer than the half life data would initially appear to indicate. It is important it is given on an empty stomach, one hour before food. All medications should be given as prescribed and dosing intervals should not be adjusted without consulting with the treating vet

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The dose of Vetmedin is 0.25mg/kg twice daily. So for a 10 lb dog I would prescribe the 1.25mg tablet to give every 12 hours. I would go to 1/2 of a 1.25 mg twice daily around 6-7 lbs. I hope this helps!

That is a proper dose of Vetmedin, yes. This drug is used to improve heart function and will not cause fluid in the lungs or abdomen, however, congestive heart failure will cause fluid in the lungs or abdomen. If there is concern that he is in congestive heart failure, additional medication-- Lasix (also called furosemide) would be needed, which is a diuretic medication. Vetmedin is safe to give with gabapentin and Rimadyl. It will not cause pancreatitis. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!