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Hearty-Heart for Dogs

Supplement for heart conditions in dogs

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Vet Talks: Advice For Heart Conditions In Dogs

Vet Talks 3 min read
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Hello Everyone! In today’s blog, we wanted to touch on heart conditions in dogs, specifically what symptoms to look for, understanding what diagnostic tests your vet might recommend for heart conditions in dogs, and treatment options, including what integrative therapy options we would recommend for heart disease in pets.

What are the symptoms of a heart condition in your dog?

It’s important to be a watchful guardian of your pet so that you can be alerted to any potential problems in your pet before they get severe. Symptoms, which as veterinarians, we consider to be red flags are:

  • Coughing– more than usual, or after exercise or a few hours before bedtime especially if you have been told your dog has a heart murmur
  • Exercise intolerance– when your dog no longer wants to go on longer walks, and tires easily
  • Pacing before bedtime or having a hard time settling down

As the heart condition develops you may see:

  • A swollen belly from fluid buildup in the lungs and other organs
  • Fainting because of blocked blood flow to the brain
  • Change in color of tongue or gum color to bluish-grey due to poor oxygen flow
  • Weight loss

If any of the above signs are seen in your dog it is very important to have your dog seen by a  veterinarian.  Your veterinarian may perform X-rays of the chest, blood work (including heartworm testing), and urine testing.  To further assess heart disease, an EKG (which is a test that monitors electrical signals from your dog’s heart and shows how fast it is beating as well as the type of rhythm of the heart) may be performed. Further tests to determine the severity of the heart condition in your dog include an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram), which will help to assess the size and blood flow within the heart.  

What breeds are most at risk for heart conditions in dogs?

Congenital abnormalities of the heart and cardiovascular system are defects that are present at birth. Due to dog breeding, there are some breeds, which are genetically predisposed to heart disease. These breeds include:

  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
  • Doberman Pinschers
  • Boxers
  • Daschunds
  • Poodles
  • Papillion
  • Maltese
  • Chihuahuas
  • American cocker spaniels
  • Newfoundlands
  • Irish wolfhounds
  • Portuguese water dogs
  • Mastiffs
  • Great Danes

What are treatment options for heart conditions in dogs?

We would say that optimal weight maintenance is probably one of the most important goals that pet parents should work toward managing cardiac disease in their pets.

Once the diagnosis has been made for heart disease, medications may be prescribed to control symptoms of heart disease.  In addition to western medications, diet and complementary therapies are very helpful in maintaining control of symptoms.  

We would say that optimal weight maintenance is probably one of the most important goals that pet parents should work toward managing cardiac disease in their pets. Obesity and severe weight loss can adversely affect the heart. Keeping your dog from becoming obese is beneficial in managing heart disease. Obesity has been shown to affect the heart by affecting the blood pressure and heart rate adversely causing cardiac failure.

Please note that diet changes should not be started if your dog has unmanaged heart disease.  When the disease is managed, transitioning to a healthy diet that has normal protein levels for age, low in salt, high in omega 3 fatty acids, with increased potassium, carnitine, coenzyme q10, and high in antioxidants are all helpful.

Integrative therapy is key to managing heart failure.  Western medications, diet, omega 3 fatty acids like NHV PetOmega-3, antioxidants, Co Q10, NHV Hearty Heart, and NHV Turmeric are what we typically prescribe for our heart failure cases.

If your dog is suffering from heart conditions, and you would like an integrative approach to healing, please do contact us for an online consult, and we would be happy to draw up a plan for you.

Dr. Hillary Cook DVM

Dr. Hillary Cook DVM

Dr. Hillary Cook is a graduate of Virginia Maryland Regional Veterinary Medical school. She has been practicing holistic and integrative veterinary medicine for over 20 years. She certified in Veterinary acupuncture and is fully qualified in Western and Chinese herbalism. She is the owner of Animal Wellness Center, an integrative veterinary clinic in Crozet, VA. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of pets including dogs, cats, and chickens. When time allows, you can find her in the garden or on the tennis court!

Published: December 4, 2015

2 replies

  1. Trina says:

    Hi my boston terrior/chihuahua mix dog has recently been diagnosed with a heart mumur thats advanced. He is on vetmedin 2.5 and enalapril. . I was wondering if i should mix them with the nhv i just purchased. And wether ther is a better route than using these expensive meds?

    1. Team NHV says:

      Hi Trina,

      We can’t even imagine how stressful and uncomfortable this all must be for you and your little one. Rest assured that we’re here to do all that we can to help you and your furkiddo.

      Our supplements are totally safe to be used alongside traditional medicine, we just suggest spacing out about 30 minutes to two hours between medications and our supplements, just to avoid overwhelming your pup. We have also found sometimes that pet parents have been able to wean their furkid off of traditional medicine but this should be done with a veterinarian’s supervision.

      Hearty-Heart is an all-natural supplement that promotes heart health, encourages easy breathing, and can help with energy levels.

      Please keep us updated on how your sweetheart is doing, we can’t wait to hear more about him. ❤

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