Fortekor for Dogs & Cats - Info & How to Save Money

What does it look like?

Fortekor comes in small tablets which can be given with or without food. The smallest size are palatable and are meant for cats or small dogs. In tests, 9 out of 10 cats were found to accept the tablets well.

What is it for?

Fortekor is licensed to treat heart failure in dogs and chronic renal insufficiency (kidney failure) in cats. It probably helps with both conditions in both species, but this has not been conclusively proven.

• In Dogs Fortekor leads to a significan extension of the lifespan of dogs with heart failure, improves quality of life and reduces symptoms such as coughing.
• In Cats, Fortekor increases the appetite, quality of life and survival time, particularly in advanced disease.

How does it work?

Fortekor affects a complex system of reactions and responses in the body concerned with blood flow through the kidneys, blood pressure, and the total volume of blood in the body. These systems do not work usefully in heart and kidney disease, and Fortekor is able to improve their effects.

Side effects and precautions

Fortekor seems to be a very safe drug, even if accidentally overdosed. In dogs the only side effect likely to be encountered is brief signs of fatigue or dizziness, and in clinical trials there was no evidence of side effects at all. In cats it will be found that blood tests might make one aspect of kidney failure look slightly worse (higher levels of creatinine) but the cats seem to do better overall. One of the potential side effects in cats is that they will seem to be hungrier and put on weight. Since most cats with kidney failure tend to go off their food and lose weight, this is probably a good thing and a benefit of treatment rather than anything else.

Fortekor can sometimes interact with other drugs. Animals treated with commonly used pain-killing, anti-inflammatory drugs (the so called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs) can show slightly reduced kidney function and a higher blood pressure. However many old dogs are on these medications together and as long as the veterinary surgeon is monitoring the animal as required, no significant problems are likely. If an animal taking Fortekor is given a general anaesthetic, this might result in significantly reduced blood pressure and must be taken into account by the veterinary surgeon in charge.

How to save money on Fortekor

Fortekor can only be prescribed by the veterinary surgeon responsible for the care of the animal. Once this has been done it can be bought straight from that vet, which is the easiest route. However this might be the most expensive way, and it is possible to buy Fortekor from a high street pharmacist, or online from a company such as VioVet. VioVet is likely to be the most economical of these options, and the Fortekor is exactly the same as that sold by your local vet.