How To Recognize Heart Disease in Dogs
Have you just came home from the vet and received the sad news that he or she has found heart disease in your dog? When you heard this prognosis, chances are you felt your own heart sink as this is your beloved pet. Did you know that there is a lot you can do in order to change what might look like bad news from your vet? By reading this article, you will find out how to prevent and treat heart disease in dogs.
When it comes to heart disease, prevention is definitely better than cure. Is your dog eating a healthy diet? If not this may be the cause of his deteriorating health. Don’t get too upset about this, but it’s time to start learning 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 dandelion or hawthorn which can both help strengthen the heart muscle and prevent a build up of fluid.
Always keep the appointment with your dog’s vet for his annual check-up even though he doesn’t appear to have any health problems. If you notice your dog coughing, especially at night time or during exercise, then you should take your dog to the vet immediately as this may be a symptom of heart disease.
If your dog is lethargic and is not able to keep up with you while you are walking or if you notice a difference in the way he breathes, then you should take your dog in for a vet visit. Some of the more serious signs of heart disease in dogs include weight loss for no apparent reason, 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 already has heart disease you may have to let him set the pace. Slow down or stop if he seems to be struggling to keep up or starts to cough.
Your dog may have been diagnosed with cardiac ischemia, which is a reduced blood supply to the heart. Reperfusion is another possible heart problem which means actual damage to the heart tissue. Both these problems will respond well to CoQ10. CoQ10 will not only help to slow down the progression of heart disease in your dog, but it will also improve your dog’s general health. We all know that a happy dog is a healthy dog.
In order to prevent bad cholesterol (LDL) in your dog and to help your dogs heart health, then you can’t go past Vitamin E. 200-500 IU a day should be enough for heart health.
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 increase your dog’s life expectancy. You should give this to your dog in doses of 500-2000 mg each day.
In the end, it is very easy to keep your dogs heart safe, as long as you pay close attention to his health and take him or her to vet visits each year or whenever you notice something wrong. Remember, heart disease in dogs could arise at any time, so you should keep an eye out for any symptoms that may arise.
