The label says, word for word:
VETMEDIN (pimobendan) is indicated for the delay of onset of congestive heart failure in dogs with Stage B2 preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease. VETMEDIN (pimobendan) is indicated for the management of the signs of mild, moderate, or severe congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs due to clinical MMVD or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Do not administer VETMEDIN in cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic stenosis, or any other clinical condition where an augmentation of cardiac output is inappropriate for functional or anatomical reasons. Do not administer VETMEDIN to dogs with Stage A or B1 preclinical MMVD due to the risk of cardiac pathology associated with exaggerated hemodynamic responses to VETMEDIN.
Not for use in humans. Keep this and all medications out of reach of children. Consult a physician in case of accidental ingestion by humans.
Only for use in dogs with Stage B2 preclinical MMVD or clinical evidence of CHF.
Keep VETMEDIN in a secure location out of reach of dogs, cats, and other animals to prevent accidental ingestion or overdose.
The safety of VETMEDIN has not been evaluated in dogs younger than 6 months of age, dogs with congenital heart defects, dogs with diabetes mellitus or other serious metabolic diseases, dogs used for breeding, or pregnant or lactating bitches.
In addition, it is recommended that dog owners be educated to recognize clinical signs associated with CHF (e.g., coughing or tachypnea) so they may promptly present the dog for an examination.
Every approved medicine has a field study behind it, and the label prints what happened:
Stage B2 preclinical MMVD field study: "Cough was the most frequently reported adverse reaction in this study. This clinical finding is commonly reported in cases of MMVD, and the incidence was similar between treatment groups. Gastrointestinal upset (vomiting and diarrhea) was the most frequently reported non-cardiac adverse reaction associated with VETMEDIN."
Approved by FDA under NADA # 141-273; original approval April 30, 2007 (FOI summary). The Stage B2 preclinical MMVD indication was first conditionally approved as Vetmedin-CA1 on June 16, 2022 and received full approval as a supplement to Vetmedin on December 19, 2025 (FDA: "Today's approval is the first time the FDA has granted a full approval of an animal drug indication that was initially conditionally approved under the agency's expanded conditional approval authority."). Vetmedin Solution (pimobendan oral solution), NADA 141-575, was approved February 13, 2024 for the CHF indication only.
The emergency page sorts the signs by how long you have, and the symptom checker asks what you are seeing. Reactions to a medicine can also be reported to the FDA yourself: how to report a problem.
These answers come from the approved label on DailyMed, read on 2 October 2026. Where the label does not say, the answer says so, and the vet or the pharmacist is the one to ask.
The approved use is quoted at the top of this page. The label read for these answers is the one for Vetmedin chewable tablets, which are given to dogs with certain kinds of heart disease. One use is to delay the start of congestive heart failure in dogs whose mitral valve disease shows no signs yet but has already produced a moderate or loud heart murmur and an enlarged heart, which the label calls Stage B2. The other is to manage the signs of congestive heart failure caused by mitral valve disease or by dilated cardiomyopathy.
The label gives no time for when a dog breathes or moves more easily. It says the level of the drug in the blood peaked 1 to 4 hours after a dose in its study dogs. In healthy dogs fitted with pressure sensors in the heart, the stronger pumping the drug produced was still present 8 hours after a dose. Ask the vet what to expect and by when.
It is a chewable tablet given by mouth. The label has the day's total divided into two portions, which need not be equal, given about 12 hours apart, in the morning and in the evening. The tablets are scored so that whole or half tablets can be used, and the vet works out the amount from the dog's weight. The label does not say whether to give it with food: it says the effect of food on how the tablets are absorbed is unknown.
The label does not say what to do about a missed dose. Call the clinic or the pharmacy before you give the next one.
The studies and the warnings are quoted above. The label recommends that owners learn to recognize the signs of congestive heart failure, such as coughing or fast breathing, so that they can bring the dog in for an examination promptly. Ask the vet to show you what to watch and when to call. The label has no other line telling owners when to call the vet. If a person swallows a tablet by accident, the label says to consult a physician.
Store it at room temperature, between 68° and 77°F; the label allows short spells between 59° and 86°F. The label says to keep it in a safe place out of reach of dogs, cats and other animals, to prevent accidental swallowing or an overdose, and out of the reach of children.
The FDA says the best way to get rid of most unused or expired medicines is a take-back option: a drug take-back location, which can be at a pharmacy or a police station, or a prepaid mail-back envelope. If you cannot use one and the medicine is not on the FDA's flush list, the FDA says to mix it, uncrushed, with something unappealing such as dirt, cat litter or used coffee grounds and to seal the mixture in a plastic bag before throwing it away. Flushing is only for medicines on that list, such as opioids. Do not give leftovers to another pet.
Write the dose, the times and the stop date here, then print this page for the fridge.
Dose and times: _____________________________________________
Stop date: _____________________________________________