A Healthy Diet – A Healthy Heart
Is your four-legged, loyal companion suffering from heart disease? Is he panting for breath, reluctant to exercise, showing loss in weight and loss of appetite for his once favorite food?
All these are symptoms of heart disease in dogs. The bad news is that clinical heart disease, when left unchecked, rapidly graduates to a more serious disease called Congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF is characterized by the inability of the heart to pump blood to other parts of the body with the same efficiency as it was before. This can lead to death sooner than you can imagine.
However, do not worry. If treated in time, CHF can be efficiently cured by the administration of vetmedin for dogs. The treatment of CHF depends on the kind of heart disease and the extent of the disease. However, besides medication and treatment, diet is yet another important thing, which pet owners must keep in mind.
A proper diet accompanied with vetmedin for dogs promise a longer and improved life for your pet.
Eat better to live better
Here’s what your canine’s diet must include and exclude:
“Yummy, Tasty food”: Dogs with CHF often undergo a process called cardiac cachexia, which results in the depletion of fat and muscles stores in the body. The causes for this include loss of appetite, low absorption of food in the body, increased energy output and side effects of certain medicines administered for the treatment of CHF. To save your pet from this, it is therefore essential to feed him with “yummy” food, which he appreciates. Moreover, as food absorption is a possible problem, ensure that the food id easily digestible and includes high quality nutrients.
Why not cook up a delicious “homemade” meal with all the nutrients?
Low on Sodium: Severe heart disease is a culprit for deteriorating kidney and central nervous system functions. A result of this is sodium and water retention by the body, which can lead to more serious problems. Therefore, controlling sodium in the diet of a canine with heart disease is as essential as sodium control in human beings.
Remember to eliminate the uninvited treats from friendly neighbors and children, apart from controlling sodium in the diet.
Adequate Calorie Intake: Adequate calorie intake is a must for dogs suffering from heart disease. This should be a sum total of proteins, carbohydrates and other amino acids. In fact, it is also proven that inadequate protein intake and certain amino acids lead to heart disease. So, include protein in the diet. The right amount is rightly determined and prescribed by the vet.
Younger, growing animals require more protein than older dogs.
Other essentials: Other essentials for dogs suffering with heart disease are taurine, B-Vitamins and magnesium. Potassium levels may be more or less depending on the dog’s condition.
Do you know that 30 percent of older dogs suffer from heart disease? Let your pet not be one of them. Couple a healthy diet with the right treatment.
