Protect Your Dog’s Heart Health With 6 Tips
Like humans, our four-legged friends can also suffer from heart disease. Following a few tips to protect your dog’s heart health will be essential in order to spend many years together.
Heart disease is more common among older, obese dogs and certain breeds. Even so, this does not mean that the youngest are free from dangers. The cause of these heart diseases is generally to be found in genetics or age, and in the first case they are more difficult to treat.
For example, in small breeds such as the bull terrier or the cocker the most common heart disease is chronic valve degeneration; in large breeds, such as the boxer and the Great Dane, in general the most frequent heart disease is myocarditis.
In most cases we fail to detect obvious symptoms when our dogs are suffering from heart failure, which is why it is not easy to intervene.
Taking this into account, it is important to take care of our pets to improve their quality of life and prevent these unwanted ailments. To do this, here are some tips for protecting your dog’s heart health.
6 tips to protect your dog’s heart health
1. Power supply
Nutrition is a very important aspect of any dog’s good health and is instrumental in keeping his heart strong and healthy.
There is a large variety of foods on the market to meet the dog’s dietary needs. Some are specially prepared taking into account the specific heart disease of the species. These specific foods, optimized to protect the dog’s heart, contain proteins of animal origin (such as taurine and carnitine) and a low salt content.
Homemade recipes with vet supervision are also a good option in these cases. This alternative, however, requires effort and perseverance on the part of the owners who will have to adapt the ingredients and doses to the needs of the animal. This is a good option for dogs that show a lack of appetite.
2. Obesity
Obesity can trigger or worsen dog heart problems. The secret is once again to resort to the right food.
In this case it would be convenient to opt for low-calorie food and measure the rations to adapt them to the needs of the animal. Dogs sometimes show a lack of appetite as a result of the complaints, but we can find tasty foods that will help our furry friend eat normally.
If we decide to feed it with homemade recipes, we will have to avoid sugar at all costs. It will be best not to give him fruit such as watermelon, foods with abundant carbohydrates or overdo the flour-based treats.
3. Physical activity to protect the dog’s heart health
If your dog suffers from a heart disorder, it does not mean that he cannot move, but that he must do it in moderation and without getting tired. When we see him panting, we will have to go home so he can rest.
Walking is a simple physical activity and the only one that benefits the body without straining the heart. Apart from that, it also helps revitalize and cleanse the circulatory system.
4. Visits to the vet
An early diagnosis of a possible heart disease by the veterinarian is essential to adopt the best solutions to the problem.
Periodic checks of the dog’s general health can help you get a diagnosis in time. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are not many signs that our pet is suffering from heart disease.
Among these, however, it is good to pay attention to fatigue, physical decay, night cough, difficulty in breathing or a swollen abdomen.
5. Medicines
Sometimes it is not enough to use healthy food and moderate physical activity to protect your dog’s heart health. These two elements must be accompanied by the administration of some medications prescribed by the veterinarian.
When the dog suffers from heart disease, it will hardly be possible to cure it. In these cases, specific treatments will help the animal lead a normal life.
6. Unconditional love to protect the dog’s heart health
Dogs ask for and always need attention from those around them. Dogs that spend a lot of time alone or don’t get enough attention have been shown to show signs of anxiety and / or nervousness. This situation can compromise their heart health.
But dogs don’t just ask for cuddles and attention, they take advantage of any opportunity to give us their affection. To make our pets happy and healthy, the ideal is to reciprocate the unconditional love they offer us.
