PREFERENCES OF VETERINARIANS FOR DRUGS TO TREAT HEART-DISEASE IN DOGSAND CATS

Responses (473) were collated from a questionnaire sent to 5054 veteri narians in Australia enquiring about drug preferences for treating car diac disease in dogs and cats. When treating a small breed dog with en docardiosis and mild left congestive heart failure, 74% of 472 respond ents 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 sodiu m diets were ''often recommended'' by 71% of respondents, Propranolol was preferred to diltiazem for treating feline hypertrophic cardiomyop athy. Digoxin was clearly preferred for treating supraventricular dysr hythmias, while lignocaine and digoxin were preferred equally for vent ricular dysrhythmias. Respondents appeared more willing than US veteri narians to use theophylline derivatives and prasozin, and less incline d to employ nitrates, hydralazine, inotropes other than digoxin, and l ow sodium diets.