Viagra Saves Dog's Life

The anti-impotence drug Viagra has been credited with saving the life of a down-and-out dog in England. Talisker, a three-year-old border collie, developed heart problems after suffering a lung infection.

The dog would lose consciousness when he got excited because his blood could not pump fast enough. Vets warned Talisker would die from the condition but suggested his owner give the dog Viagra, as the sex pill improves blood flow to the heart.

Lesley Strong, a former pub landlady, of Yardley Hastings, Northants, said she was "shocked" by the vet's advice but the little blue pills had given Talisker a "new lease of life".

She said the prescription - labelled Talisker: Strong - had taken the local chemist a little by surprise.

She added that Talisker received his medicine in his food.

"I was shocked when the vet recommended Viagra and it raised a few eyebrows when I first collected the prescription. But it's given Talisker a new lease of life," she told the newspaper.

Viagra, normally associated with middle-aged male impotency, has also been used to treat humans with the rare disease pulmonary arterial hypertension.

In 2007, researchers suggested Viagra could be used to help people recover from jetlag.