How To Recognize Heart Disease in Dogs

Posted by Puppy Trainer on May 25th, 2009 filed in Dogs

Has your dog just been diagnosed with a heart complaint? Heart disease in dogs cannot be cured but it can be managed and in some cases a lot of the damage can be reversed. There are natural remedies and herbs for dogs that can help prevent heart disease and boost the health of dogs who already may have some heart damage. Here we’ll have a look at how this may be done.

When it comes to heart disease, prevention is definitely better than cure. Are you feeding your dog a healthy diet? If not this could be the cause of his heart problems. Don’t beat yourself up about this, but it’s time to get wise about healthy foods for dogs and what to feed your dog to improve his health and recovery.

Conventional medications for heart disease in dogs do have known side effects. If you can, find a holistic vet who would be qualified to recommend herbal remedies such as hawthorn and dandelion that can 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 at any time your dog starts coughing, especially during the night time or after exercise, rush him to the vet straight away 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. Other serious symptoms of heart disease in dogs include spontaneous weight loss, difficulty breathing and fainting.

Moderate 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 allow him to set the pace. Slow down or stop 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 is a fantastic supplement for dogs as it not only slows down the progression of heart disease, but it will also improve your dog’s general health. We all know that a happy dog is a healthy dog.

To prevent the formation of LDL cholesterol (bad choleterol) 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 great supplement that will help your dog’s heart is L-Carnitine. It will help with deterioration of the heart muscle. If you combine L-Carnitine with another supplement called Taurine, it will help to improve your dog’s life expectancy as well. You should give this to your dog in doses of 500-2000 mg each day.

In conclusion there are many ways to  improve your dog’s heart health, as long as you keep a watchful eye on his health and remember to take him to his anuual visit to the vet each year or straight away if something seems wrong. Remember, heart disease in dogs may happen without warning, so you should keep an eye out for any symptoms that may arise.