Is Lisinopril safe for my senior dog with protein in urine & high BP?

If a UTI has been ruled out by urine culture, then protein losing nephropathy can be suspected as the cause, and an ACEI such as enalapril or benazepril can be used. I believe there is a newer medication on the US market for this purpose in dogs, but I can't remember it now! I just learned about it at a lecture a few months ago. I don't typically treat borderline high BP, but if the PLN is real then the ACEI will certain help lower the BP to decrease protein loss. Beta blockers would be the next step, but I haven't needed to use them personally. Here is an article you may find helpful on canine hypertension: https://www.dvm360.com/view/diagnosing-and-treating-hypertension-proceedings-0 And another for PLN: https://www.dvm360.com/view/protein-losing-nephropathy-proceedings

Hi, Lisinopril is used in the treatment of both heart failure and hypertension (high blood pressure) in dogs. In dogs required the drug the safe dose is 0.5 mg/kg which in the case of 13 lb (6.5 kg) puppy that would be 3.25mg which makes 10mg an overdose. Overdose may cause lethargy, increased heart rate, vomiting, and hypotension (low blood pressure). Seek veterinary care immediately. If it has happened less than an hour ago the vet may be able to induce vomiting. If not he will need to be monitored and supportive care depending on signs.

I would not recommend that you change out meds without direct supervision by your vet. Dosing is not the same between these two drugs and it depends a lot on what condition we are treating here. Lisinopril is not as commonly used in dogs. If you are out of meds and cannot refill until tomorrow, it would be better to skip a dose then to change meds suddenly (although certainly skipping meds is not advised if you can avoid it).

I am sorry to hear about Abbey's problems! Enalapril is used for heart disease as well as other problems such as kidney protein-loss and high blood pressure. We do, however, like to monitor kidney values via bloodwork when giving enalapril along with lasix. Side effects of enalapril can include nausea, diarrhea, or inappetance. In some dogs we can see listlessness or lethargy as a result of drop in blood pressure. Some dogs can also get elevations in potassium levels. It would be best to have a more thorough workup if your vet suspects fluid in the lungs. A cough can be the result of numerous causes in older dogs and the only way to truly tell if there is fluid buildup in the lungs would be an x-ray. The x-ray would also let us evaluate heart size and check for other causes of coughing (infection, tracheal disorders, chronic bronchitis, masses). Depending on what is seen on the x-ray, an ultrasound of the heart may also be recommended (if we do see enlargement of the heart and fluid build up in the lungs this would be the next diagnostic step). Bloodwork would also be recommended to check the kidney values and the potassium levels when on this medication.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Buddy. I have used these medications together in dogs before when necessary. That being said, kidney values, blood pressure and the amount of protein in the urine needs to be closely monitored. I typically will recheck a blood pressure reading within the first week of starting benazapril. Then I will follow up by taking a blood sample several weeks later. Kidney values need followed not only for elevations above normal, but also trends upwards that are still in the normal range. With close monitoring, problems can be identified early and doses or medications can be changed if needed. I hope this information helps!

You are correct, Proin and DES are both medications that are commonly used to treat urinary incontinence in dogs. However, its possible that urinary tract infections, bladder stones, or bladder tumors could also cause these symptoms. Therefore, a visit to your vet for at least a urinalysis (urine test) is indicated. If no cause is found, then medication such as DES or Proin can be prescribed by your veterinarian. Antihistamines will have a significant effect on urination in dogs. If you feel that we haven't met your expectations, please contact customer service at customerservice@Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.com. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for writing. Sounds like your dog has a protein-losing nephropathy, which we abbreviate PLE. Food alone doesn't do much, unfortunately, and we really have to treat the underlying cause. There are a huge list of things that can cause a PLE. Many breeds of dogs can pass this on genetically - Bernese mountain dogs, beagles, soft-coated wheaten terriers, cocker spaniels to name a few. All of these dogs have a specific kind of dysfunction in their kidney that causes the protein loss, and the only way you can tell which one it is is by doing a biopsy of the kidney. Infectious diseases can cause PLE's too - chronic bacterial infections, fungal disease, tick borne disease (like Lyme disease). Cancer can cause it, as well as drugs like steroids and other diseases like diabetes. What I'm trying to get at is that protein in the urine isn't a diagnosis - it's a sign of another disease. In order to treat it you have to figure out what's causing it. If you want to do a consult I'd be happy to talk more with you about this - it's a complicated problem.