Dietary Care for a Dog with Heart Disease

1 Dietary Care for a Dog with Heart Disease

Dietary tips for a dog with heart disease

1) Limit sodium — that is, limit salt. Whether or not a dog has heart disease, a high-salt diet is unsuitable; human food is already too salty for dogs, which is one reason owners are told not to feed table scraps. A dog with heart disease needs this even more: low-salt, low-sodium food, so skip the human meals.

2) Add more protein. Unless your vet says to restrict it, do not cut protein. Low-fat, high-protein food is vital nutrition for these dogs.

3) Keep a healthy weight. Excess weight burdens the heart, so an overweight dog with heart disease should slim down and cut fat intake. How to do it best is up to your vet, since every dog differs.

4) Add vitamins. Taurine is very good for the heart, so buy a taurine supplement or taurine complex, or feed plain boiled chicken, beef, or pork. Regular fish-oil supplements also help the heart.

5) For a homemade diet, pick fresh vegetables and meat each day. Blanch them once in water first. Good vegetables are carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, and broccoli; for meat use the chicken breast, beef, or pork mentioned above.

6) Never feed organ meats. They are very hard to digest for a dog with heart disease and add further strain on the heart.

7) Limit water intake. Drinking too much also burdens an already weak heart; keep daily water to within 40 ml per kg of body weight.

Keep these dietary rules in mind and care for your dog on every front. Good management helps control the condition, and your dog can stay happily by your side.