Dog Food for Heart Disease: Heart-Healthy Diet Tips

Learning that your dog suffers from a cardiac illness is one of the worst things any owner could hear. Thankfully, the road to minimizing respiratory and behavioral strains on your pet is through its tummy. 

Dog food for heart disease can help keep the doggo’s spirits high and its belly full. That’s why it’s important for owners to know exactly the type of nutrients they should focus on, and we’ll break it all down for you in this Pawy guide.

The Role of Diet in Dogs With Heart Disease

Different types of heart disease can affect dogs’ diets in varying ways. For instance, early-stage issues might just require slight dietary changes, while congestive heart failure calls for thorough meal regulation.

A well-chosen diet can reduce stress on the heart by providing nutrients the organ needs to maintain regular function. It’s very important to work with veterinarians and pet nutritionists to craft a specific food plan suitable for your pet.

On that note, vets usually set therapeutic diets for dogs dealing with heart issues. They are mainly based on high-quality protein sources and omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fresh, heart-healthy dog food.

Essential Nutrients To Support a Healthy Heart

Whether fresh or processed, dog food for heart disease should mainly include a similar set of ingredients. To be precise, there are certain nutrients you’ll need to bump up, as well as some ingredients that are bad for a dog’s heart, which you should avoid. Here’s our detailed summary:

Low Sodium Diets

Most commercial pet food options contain sodium, which makes your dog’s body retain water. As a result, the amount of blood the heart has to pump increases, which can cause long-term strain.

Sodium abounds in processed foods, including wet and canned options, dry commercial kibble, and processed treats. For a better alternative, you can switch to sodium-free fresh dog food for heart.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids 

Healthy omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and lower the chances of heart muscle damage and more serious cardiac diseases. For dogs suffering from a bad heart, fish oil contains some of the most beneficial fatty acids, and this dietary addition might even improve your doggo’s appetite.

Amino Acids

Amino acids like taurine and L-carnitine play a crucial role in proper heart muscle function. Dilated cardiomyopathy is one of the most common illnesses that dogs with taurine deficiency are prone to developing.

Mild supplementation through fresh dog heart health food sources like muscle meat, turkey, and chicken keeps your furry friend’s taurine intake at a satisfactory level. L-carnitine helps the heart produce energy, so supplementation in case of deficiency is vital for pets with cardiac issues.

High-Quality Proteins

Canned and wet dog foods that claim to be high in protein often only lead to overweight dogs. This can grow into an even bigger problem if the pet struggles with heart disease, so you’ll want to keep its body weight lean.

To do that, gradually add adequate sources of fresh, high-quality proteins to the diet. Lean proteins contain the lowest possible amounts of sodium, so fresh chicken, turkey, and fish all make worthy additions.

What to Feed Your Dog: Choosing the Right Diet Plan

Good food for dogs with heart diseases is out there; you just need to know where to look. Here’s an overview of potentially beneficial diets that might help your dog:

Fresh, Whole-Food Diets

Fresh dog food prepared with real, minimally processed ingredients is not only easier to digest, but it’s also naturally free of sodium. These are the main fresh food ingredients that tick these boxes:

• Slow-cooked, lean chicken

• Turkey

• Eggs

• Carrots

• Green beans

• Sweet potatoes

In addition to that, these foods are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals that cardiac patients need. Of course, a lot of it comes down to the preparation method and dietary formulation, which is where our Pawy experts can help with professional nutritionists and veterinarians and their recommendations.

Therapeutic Diets

Companies like Pawy craft personalized therapeutic diets for dogs dealing with cardiac issues. They’re custom-formulated and well-balanced to meet the nutritional needs of such dogs, so the diet plans differ from case to case.

Foods to Avoid If Your Dog Suffers From Heart Disease

Certain food groups are particularly harmful for doggos suffering from a bad heart. Here’s a quick list of items you should avoid feeding your pet:

• Human foods high in sodium content (sausages, deli meats, cheese)

• Foods rich in salt and unhealthy fats

• Commercial treats with added preservatives

• Grain-free diets (based on peas, lentils, chickpeas)

• High-fat foods

Grain-Free Diets

The grain-free dog food heart disease debate has been a matter of discussion for years now, and the FDA even did research into grain-free diets and their relation to cardiac issues in dogs. As a result, they concluded that foods like potatoes, lentils, and chickpeas lead to the weakening of the heart muscle, also known as dilated cardiomyopathy. 

The thing is, problems don't arise just because of a lack of grains; they're related to the presence of legumes like peas, lentils, and chickpeas. For dogs with cardiac issues, these are not the best primary source of carbohydrates.

The stakes get even higher if your pet is genetically prone to developing such problems. While it’s not an exact rule, breeds like spaniels, golden retrievers, dobermans, and boxers face a higher genetic risk of developing said heart conditions. 

That’s why you shouldn’t just come up with a diet yourself, but rather put your trust in proven experts and pet nutritionists to give you the best diet for your dog.

Summary

Overall, dogs can live for years with heart-related diseases, as long as they receive nurturing treatment and the right nutrients through their food. A tailored diet is one of the best ways to ensure that your pet won’t decline in health further.

At Pawy, we always recommend fresh food as the number one option for maintaining health, stamina, and a shiny coat. Our experts with years of experience under their belts are always up for a chat, so feel free to reach out if you wish to talk about your dog’s health and get a custom meal plan recommendation.