Stephen at Superwild · 15 May 2026 · 6 min read

Vetmedin vs Cardisure — are they actually the same? (And the £400/year question)

Short answer: yes, they are. Both Vetmedin and Cardisure are pimobendan — a calcium sensitiser / phosphodiesterase III inhibitor licensed for canine heart failure. Both are authorised by the UK VMD. Both contain the same active drug at the same strengths. Cardisure is the Dechra generic, launched after the original Boehringer Ingelheim patent expired. The clinical effect is equivalent.

The price is not.

What is actually different between them

For practical owner-facing purposes:

• Manufacturer: Vetmedin is Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. Cardisure is Dechra (now part of EQT). Two large, properly regulated veterinary pharma companies.
• Tablet shape and colour: Vetmedin chewables are off-white with a score line; Cardisure tablets are off-white round flavoured tablets. Pack presentations differ slightly.
• Flavouring: Both are meat-flavoured chewables. Most dogs eat either happily. A small minority prefer one over the other — usually a brand they were started on.
• Strength range: Both come in 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg. Same dosing — 0.5 mg/kg/day total, split into two doses an hour before food.

What is the same: active ingredient, mechanism, indication, dose, contraindications, interactions and side-effect profile.

The £400/year question

Pricing as of May 2026, indicative, for a 12 kg dog on 5 mg twice daily:

• Vetmedin at the average UK vet: ~£55/month (range £38–£75).
• Cardisure at the average UK vet: ~£44/month (range £30–£58).
• Vetmedin from a VMD-approved online pharmacy: ~£28/month.
• Cardisure from a VMD-approved online pharmacy: ~£22/month.

The cheapest legal option in the UK is therefore Cardisure online. Compared to Vetmedin at the average vet practice, the annual saving is £396. Compared to some practices charging £75/month for Vetmedin, the gap is closer to £636/year. Net of one £21 written prescription fee, you keep £375–£615 a year.

Why the gap exists

Three reasons. First, branded medicines carry higher wholesale prices than generics — this is true in human medicine too. Second, vet practice dispensaries operate on a standard mark-up that compounds over years of monthly heart-failure dispensing. Third, most practice formularies default to the branded option unless asked. From 23 September 2026 the CMA Order requires vets to disclose cheaper alternatives. Ask explicitly.

How to switch

There is no taper. Pimobendan does not require gradual transition. If your vet is happy (most are), you finish the current pack and start Cardisure the next day. The standard script:

1. Email your vet: "Please could you write my next pimobendan prescription generically (or specify Cardisure), as I am buying from a VMD-approved online pharmacy."
2. Pay the £21 prescription fee.
3. Order from the pharmacy. The first delivery is usually 24–48 hours.
4. Continue as before. Next 6-monthly heart check-up with the vet is unchanged.

When not to switch

• Newly diagnosed (last 3 months). If the dog is freshly stabilised on Vetmedin, get them through the first quarter at steady state, then switch.
• Picky eater on a brand they accept. If your dog already eats Vetmedin chewables eagerly and you have had trouble dosing them, do not risk a refused tablet for £20/month.
• Complex polypharmacy with imminent re-stabilisation. If a cardiology specialist is mid-adjustment of furosemide / torasemide / benazepril, hold steady until they sign off.

The wider point

Most heart-failure dogs end up on three medications: pimobendan, an ACE inhibitor (Fortekor/Nelio) and a diuretic (furosemide or torasemide). Each one has a generic alternative. Bundle all three on one written prescription (£21 + £12.50 + £12.50 = £46) and the lifetime savings push into four figures for a typical Cavalier on heart medication from age 7 to 11. The multi-medication calculator will run your dog's combination for you.

Not medical advice. Sources: Vetmedin and Cardisure SPCs at vmd.defra.gov.uk; published bioequivalence data; CMA Final Order, March 2026.