Posts Tagged ‘Congestive Heart Failure’

What is the Best Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure?

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

Every dog owner wants the best for their dog. Unfortunately, sometimes we are forced to face the fact that our dearly loved dog has medical disorders that need to be addressed. For this specific article, let us concentrate on what is canine congestive heart failure and how to make nutritionally sound choices to avoid the decline in your dog’s health due to heart failure.

Heart disease is the result of an aberration in yourdog’s heart structure and performance. Typically, what happens is that this deficiency causes your dog’s heart to decrease its ability to pump blood well which leads to ultimate heart failure for the poor dog. Often there will be no telltale signs of this ailment until it is too late so we would do well to learn the best dog food for congestive heart failure – it is one of the most helpful tools to avoid this from happening to your pet.

Just as is the case with people, a reduced salt diet will assist in maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system. Try preparing 1/4 lb of lean beef ground meat with 2 cups of unsalted rice and 2 teaspoons dicalcium phosphate in vegetable oil. You can also use organic commercial dog food but check the nutritional content and consult with your vet before making any alterations in the dog’s diet and lifestyle.

Another important nutrient that should be added in your dog’s daily food intake is Omega-3 fatty acids. This seems to not only reduce the risk of congestive heart illnesses for dogs, but with other equally critical cardiac disorders as well. Omega-3 is found abundantly in sea food and fish oil supplements.

Vitamin E also tends to raise the antioxidant levels in your dog’s cardiovascular reserves. Studies have constantly shown that this particular vitamin helps animals suffering from heart complications. When you are using a particular pet food, make sure that it has not been kept in storage for a very long period of time – especially if its nutritional content indicates that it has high unsaturated fat. This is one contributing factor in depleting the pet’s Vitamin E leve.

Other nutrients that help in improved canine cardiovascular function are L-carnitine and Taurine. L-carnitine improves your dog’s heart rate, exercise tolerance and protection against many types of heart diseases. L-carnitine in partner with Taurine is acknowledged as good helpers in maintaining heart health for animals. Taurine specifically is said to extend the life expectancy of canines with congestive heart diseases.

When determining your dog’s diet, do not neglect also the value of exercise as a preventive measure for canine congestive heart failure. A symptom of this ailment is the dog’s extreme exhaustion after exercising; so when you notice that the dog is exhibiting signs of labored breathing and extreme tiredness – take him to the vet for prognosis right away.

Hearing news of a beloved pet’s life threatening condition is often heartbreaking. Just a little effort and learning about the best dog food for congestive heart failure will go a long way in keeping your dog’s heart health. Bear this in mind and enjoy your dog’s best years yet.

Natural Healing for Dog with Congestive Heart Failure

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Natural healing for a dog with congestive heart failure. Is it possible? Well, before looking at that issue, we need to know what canine congestive heart failure actually is. It is the abnormality of the function and structure of the dog’s heart. Typically, because of thickened and enlarged heart chambers – the efficacy of the organ’s ability to pump blood is reduced. Unfortunately, by the time this ailment is correctly identified; the condition could be in its latter stages already.

It is essential for the owner to learn themanifestations of this ailment so he can detect the signs early and go to his vet immediately. These include breathing difficulties,coughing often and having bluish colored tongue and mouth. You have to treat this right away. If you are not at ease in administering medicinal drugs to your dog – here are natural healing for dog with congestive heart failure remedies available for you to try.

The best and natural way to get your pet healthy is through giving it the proper exercise and diet. Another symptom of congestive heart failure is exhaustion of the canine even after its regular exercise so consult an expert in regards to the proper activities the animal can participate in.

Personally designed and cooked meals for dogs are usually healthier than the commercial pet food that are available in the market. This is especially so if you are dealing with one with an ailment that needs care in its specific nutritional content. Boneless lean meat and grains are good ingredients to include in your dog’s meals. Put in the meat into vegetables like squash, cucumber, carrots, zucchini, beets, broccoli and yams into his food. Avoid vegetables that can cause digestive complications like beans, tomatoes and bell peppers.

Chop these into bite-size pieces that the dog can easily chew. The dog’s meals should always be low sodium and high in other minerals like calcium – which is said to slow down the heart rate and assist in the ability of the heart to pump blood more effectively. Other essential nutrients include Taurine and L-carnitine, Coenzyme Q 10 or CoQ 10, Vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids (seafood is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids).

The right minerals go a long way in improving your pet’s cardiovascular well-being as most of the previously mentioned minerals are credited to prolonging the life span of dogs with heart conditions. Another natural supplement beneficial for your dog is the herb Crateagus oxycantha or Hawthorne which contain properties that promote artery strength and general cardiovascular health. Calcium fluoride, Kalium phosphate and Arnica Montana are also recognized to encourage good blood pressure levels for the dog.

Take note that these natural healing for dog with congestive heart failure should always be confirmed by a trusted vet to ensure that it is applicable to your pet. Some canines have special cases in which particular ingredients may not prove to be beneficial to its given condition. It is better to err being careful, especially in regard to something as serious as your dog’s cardiac health.

Canine congestive heart failure is an ailment one must never take lightly. However don’t let that stop you from enjoying your dog and don’t let that deprive him of the pleasure of your company. Take good care of him and love him the best way you can – this way you have nothing to regret in the time you do have together.