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Is Sildenafil safe for dogs with kidney failure & hypertension?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | neutered | 14 years old | 5.4 lbs

My dog is in Kidney failure and has Pulmonary Hypertension. He's been prescribed Sildenafil (0.5ml twice a day). Is this safe for his kidneys?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 23rd, 2018

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Sildenafil is safe to use in dogs with kidney failure. This will help manage the hypertension. If the hypertension is not managed, the hypertension will damage the kidneys further. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 23rd, 2018
Hello. You do not indicate how many mg are in an ml of your medication, so you will need to look on your bottle. For example, it should say something like 10mg/ml, so 0.5 ml will contain 5 mg of the drug. There is a range of doses, but this is what would be acceptable for a 5.4-pound dog, 2.5 - 7.4 mg every 12 hours. It is very safe to give to a pet with kidney failure as this medication only affects pulmonary artery pressure & perfusion. Side effects are actually not well known but include inguinal ( groin ) flushing & perhaps some GI distress ( diarrhea ). Hopefully, it helps his breathing within a few days, but if not, dosage adjustments are often made. Stay in close touch with your veterinarian as to how Memi responds to his treatments. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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