Top 8 Veterinary Prescription Heart and Blood Pressure Medications for Dogs in the United States - 2025 Veterinary Guide to ACE Inhibitors, Beta-Blockers, Diuretics, Vasodilators & Antiarrhythmics with Dosing, Monitoring and Combination Therapy

Fortekor Plus is positioned as a leading, practice-friendly option because it combines an ACE inhibitor with a diuretic into a single tablet to simplify chronic heart-failure regimens. That fixed-dose approach reduces pill burden and clinic dispensing complexity compared with single-agent generics, offering veterinarians a technically convenient and often cost-competitive solution for managing canine congestive heart failure. Relative to plain ACE inhibitor products on this list, its main financial advantage is lower overall dispensing cost and improved owner compliance when both modalities are indicated.

Benazepril is an ACE inhibitor with a long track record in veterinary cardiology and nephrology, often used as a lower-cost or complementary option to ARBs for managing canine heart failure and proteinuric kidney disease. Technically it acts upstream of ARBs in the renin-angiotensin system, which can be an advantage for certain patients but also means a different side-effect and monitoring profile compared with ARBs like telmisartan or losartan; financially, generic benazepril is typically inexpensive and widely stocked by clinics. For practices deciding between ACE inhibitors and ARBs, benazepril remains an important, evidence-backed choice when ARBs are unavailable or when combined therapy is indicated under specialist guidance.

Atenolol 25mg holds a best-in-class position for small-breed dogs because its lower tablet strength enables precise, titratable dosing for chronic management of hypertension and some cardiomyopathies. As a beta-1 selective agent it tends to have less bronchial and central nervous system penetration than non-selective propranolol products, and it is often more cost-effective per milligram for long-term therapy compared with higher-strength tablets that require splitting. Compared with sotalol, it lacks Class III antiarrhythmic effects but offers a simpler safety profile that can reduce monitoring costs in suitable patients.

Torsemide is positioned as the market-leading advanced loop diuretic for canine patients who need sustained diuresis because it has superior oral bioavailability and a longer duration of action than furosemide, often allowing once-daily dosing. Although typically more expensive per tablet than furosemide products, its pharmacokinetic advantages can lower total treatment costs and clinic visits over time, and it is especially useful when furosemide responsiveness is suboptimal.

Sildenafil 20mg is positioned as the lead pulmonary vasodilator option for dogs because it selectively targets pulmonary arterial pressure and is widely used for pulmonary hypertension cases where systemic vasodilators are less effective. Compared with systemic agents like hydralazine or nitrates, sildenafil’s pulmonary specificity reduces the risk of systemic hypotension and is generally available as a cost-effective generic option, making it the preferred choice when pulmonary vasodilation is the clinical priority.

Diltiazem is a calcium‑channel blocker widely recognized as best‑in‑class for supraventricular tachyarrhythmias and AV nodal rate control in dogs, offering predictable hemodynamic effects and compatibility with other rhythm agents. Compared with amiodarone and sotalol, it is often preferred for atrial‑origin tachyarrhythmias because of a favorable side‑effect profile and cost‑effective generic availability, making it an efficient choice for outpatient management of SVT.

Fortekor Plus tablets combine ACE inhibition with additional cardiac support in a single-tablet format to reduce pill burden and potentially lower overall therapy costs for long-term management. As a market leader among combination therapies, it offers convenience and potential cost savings versus using separate agents like Vetmedin and an ACE inhibitor, although combination formulations can limit individualized titration compared with using individual products.