EFFICACY OF ENALAPRIL IN THE TREATMENT OF CONGESTIVE-HEART-FAILURE INDOGS

Efficacy of enalapril (Cardiovet A.U.V.) was studied in 18 dogs suffer ing from chronic congestive cardiac failure. History was recorded and baseline physical examinations were performed. Patients were classifie d according to the category of congestive cardiac failure (Fig. 1). Ca rdiological diagnoses were based on ECG :rnd echocardiographic examina tions (Fig. 2 and 3). The latter included both two-dimensional and hl- mode echocardiography which surved for measurement of left ventricular dimensions, as well as for calculations of fractional shortening. Pat ients received enalapril per os in a dosis of 0.5 mg/bwkg/24 hours. Oc casionaly further drugs used in congestive cardiac failure (e.g. firro semide, digoxin) anti antiarrhythmic drugs (veraparmil) were added to enalapril treatment. Controll examinations (including physical examina tions, ECG and echocardiography) were performed one and four weeks aft er initiating medical therapy. Several breeds were represented in the population of the 18 dogs, anti 10 (55.6%) suffered from chronic endoc ardiosis, 6 (33.3%) from dilated cardiomyopathy and 2 (11.1%,) had chr onic endocarditis. By the time of the second examination (after one we ek) 13 dogs (72.1%) showed improvement of the cardiac failure (Table 1 ), whilst 3 patients (16.7%) did not improve. One dog (5.6%) was not r eferred to the second appointment and one (5.6%) has died by that time . During the third examination (after four weeks) 14 patients (77.7%) improved, one dog (5.6%) was not taken for the examination. and two do gs (11.1%) have died due to the worsening of the congestive cardiac fa ilure. Table 2 demonstrates the results of treatment. according to the categories of cardiac insufficiency at the time of the baseline exami nations and on the fourth week, respectively. Improvement of congestiv e cardiac insufficient-Ii can be mainly explained by the beneficial ef fects of enalapril as 22.2% of the dogs have received solely this drog , 47.4% of them were treated with enalapril and diuretics anti only 30 .4% received additional digoxin treatment.