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 plenty you can do in order to change what might look like bad news from your vet? As you read 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 beat yourself up about this, but it’s time to start learning about healthy foods for dogs and what to feed your dog to speed his recovery.

Conventional medications for heart disease in dogs may have unwanted side effects. If you can, find a holistic vet who can prescribe herbal remedies such as dandelion or hawthorn that can 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 at any time your dog starts coughing, especially at night time or during exercise, rush him to the vet straight away as this could be a symptom of heart disease.

If your dog lacks energy and can’t seems to keep up while you are walking or there seems to be a difference in the way he’s breathing, then take him to the vet without delay. Some of the more serious signs of heart disease in dogs include spontaneous weight loss, labored breathing and fainting.

Gentle exercise is also important and is as simple as walking your dog a few times a week. If your dog is already affected by heart problems allow him to 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 the overall health of your dog. We all know that a happy dog is a healthy dog.

To prevent the formation of LDL cholesterol (bad choleterol) in your dog and to help maintain the health of his heart, then you can’t go past Vitamin E. You should give your dog Vitamin E in 200-500 IU each day.  

Another natural supplement for heart disease in dogs is L-Carnitine. L-Carnitine prevents further deterioration of the heart muscle. If you combine L-Carnitine with another supplement called Taurine, it will help to improve your dog’s life expectancy as well. This can be given in the amount of 500-2000 mg daily.

In conclusion there are many ways to  improve your dog’s heart health, as long as you keep a watchful eye on his health and take him or her to vet visits each year or straight away if something seems wrong. Remember, heart disease in dogs may happen without warning, so you should keep an eye out for any symptoms that may arise.