What is the Best Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure?
by OurChapters on Oct.29, 2009, under OurChapters
Any pet owner hopes for the best for their canines. Regrettably, occasionally we are forced to acknowledge the fact that our dearly loved dog has medical conditions that need to be looked into. For this specific article, let us focus on what is canine congestive heart failure and how to make nutritionally reliable selections to prevent the decline of its health.
Congestive heart failure is caused by an abnormality in thecanine’s heart structure and function. Usually, what occurs is that this defect causes your dog’s heart to decrease its ability to pump blood well which leads to eventual cardiac failure for the poor dog. There are often no indicating signals of this disorder until it is in its final stages so we would do well to learn the best dog food for congestive heart failure – it is one of the most effective methods to avoid this from happening to your dog.
As with human beings, a low sodium diet will greatly help in keeping 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 high quality 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 compounded in your dog’s daily meal is Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 tends to not only reduce the risk of congestive heart illnesses for dogs, but with other potentially fatal cardiac disorders as well. Common and accessible sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are sea food and fish oils.
Vitamin E is also said to increase the antioxidant levels in the dog’s cardiovascular reserves. Studies have consistently shown that Vitamin E can help animals with heart ailments. When you are using a particular dog food, make sure that it has not been in storage for a lengthy periods – particularly 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 aid in improved canine cardiovascular function are L-carnitine and Taurine. L-carnitine improves the 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 cardiac health for animals. Taurine specifically is said to extend the life expectancy of dogs with congestive heart diseases.
When looking at an appropriate dog food for congestive heart failure, do not overlook also the value of exercise as a preventive measure for canine congestive heart failure. An indicator of this ailment is the animal’s extreme exhaustion after exercising; so when you notice that the dog is exhibiting signs of labored breathing and excessive fatigue – take him to the vet for prognosis right away.
Hearing news of a beloved pet’s life threatening condition is often heartbreaking. A little effort and learning about the best dog food for congestive heart failure will make a difference in keeping your dog’s heart health. Remember this and enjoy your dog’s best years thus far.