How To Prevent And Treat Heart Disease In Dogs

May 18th, 2009 at 1:10pm

Have you just came home from the vet and received the sad news that he or she has found heart disease in your dog? When you heard this prognosis, chances are you felt your own heart sink as this is your beloved pet. Did you know that there is plenty you can do in order to change what might look like bad news from your vet? By reading this article, you will find out how to prevent and treat heart disease in dogs.

When it comes to heart disease, prevention is definitely better than cure. Is your dog eating a healthy diet? If not this could be the cause of his heart problems. Don’t get too upset about this, but it’s time to start learning about healthy foods for dogs and what to feed your dog to speed his recovery.

Conventional medications for heart disease in dogs do have known side effects. If you can, find a holistic vet who can prescribe herbal remedies such as dandelion or hawthorn which can both help strengthen the heart muscle and prevent a build up of fluid.

Make sure you take your dog to the vet for a yearly check up even though he seems healthy. If you notice your dog coughing, especially at night time or during exercise, then you should take your dog to the vet immediately as this may be one of the symptoms heart disease.

If your dog is lethargic and can’t seems to keep up while you are walking or there seems to be a difference in the way he’s breathing, then take him to the vet without delay. Some of the more serious signs of heart disease in dogs include spontaneous weight loss, labored breathing and fainting.

Gentle exercise is also important and is as simple as taking your dog for a walk a few times a week. If your dog is already affected by heart problems you may have to let him set the pace. Stop or slow down if he seems to be struggling to keep up or starts to cough.

your vet has diagnosed your dog with cardiac ischemia, which is a shortage of blood supply going to the heart, or reperfusion, which is damage to the heart tissue, then CoQ10 will help your dog. CoQ10 will not only help to slow down the progression of heart disease in your dog, but it will also improve your dog’s general health. We all know that a happy dog is a healthy dog.

In order to prevent bad cholesterol (LDL) in your dog and to help your dogs heart health, then we recommend some good old Vitamin E. You should give your dog Vitamin E in 200-500 IU each day.

Another natural supplement for heart disease in dogs is L-Carnitine. L-Carnitine prevents further deterioration of the heart muscle. When you combine L-Carnitine with Taurine, it will increase your dog’s life expectancy. You should give this to your dog in doses of 500-2000 mg each day.

In the end, it is very easy to keep your dogs heart safe, as long as you keep a watchful eye on his health and take him or her to vet visits each year or whenever you notice something wrong. Remember, heart disease in dogs could arise at any time, so please be watchful for any of the above symptoms.