The disease congestive heart failure is linked with the heart’s inability to supply/pump blood to the rest of the body. It is a serious disease when blood stays in the lungs that become a real problem for the lungs and heart. If your dog is suffering from serious heart disorder then this is a condition not a disease for your dog that may occur many times. In such times your dog needs dog food recipes for congestive heart failure that are crafted for special needs. Remember blood circulation is the only way to circulate oxygen in the body, but congestive heart failure prevents your dog from normal breathing, it all starts when fluids accumulate in the lungs.
It is hard to make a balanced food at home because a dog with a heart problem needs a balanced diet that must not put pressure on his heart and support to recover from the situation. This is the reason we bring some of the best foods for dogs suffering from congestive heart failure. We recently published a resource for small dog training collars, please visit to know more about the topic.
Your dog needs Low-Sodium Dog Foods for quality life and best dog food for heart disease should be low in sodium, here we list of best of them:
1. Purina Pro Plan Best Low-Sodium Dog Foods
- First 5 Ingredients: Salmon, Barley, Ground Rice, Canola Meal, Oat Meal
- Type: Non-Grain Free
- Profile: For Puppies, Adults, and Seniors
- Best For: Medium and Large Breeds
Purina is crafted for a sensitive stomach with low fats and sodium to provide all the required nutrients and maintain muscle mass even during the recovery stage. It is good food. Once you move on to this food, you will never change it. Salmon and rice together make a great taste that your dog will love most.
- Probiotic Fiber and Antioxidants: A dog suffering from a digestive problem needs a diet that is easy to digest. Pro plan comes with probiotics that improve the digestive system, and antioxidants regulate the immune system.
- High-Quality Ingredients: Salmon is a number one ingredient, and no artificial color or flavor is included in this food.
2. Earthborn Holistic Adult Vantage Natural Dog Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barly, Ground Brown Rice, Rye Flour
- Type: Non-Grain Free
- Profile: For Puppies, Adults, and Seniors
- Best For: All Breeds
Dog food recipes for congestive heart failure are crafted with low sodium to support the dogs during this serious heart disease. Earthborn Holistic crafted this recipe with the fish protein, and chicken meal, especially white fish, is used to get the protein that maintains muscle mass during the disease.
Brown rice, oatmeal, and barley are also part of this food that makes the diet easy to digest, and Omega 3andh Omega-6 are the ingredients present in a balanced form. It is necessary to take care of the skin, coat, and digestive system possible through this food. It is a kibble composition that you can feed your dog without any doubt.
3. Fromm Gold Best Dog Food for Heart Disease
- First 5 Ingredients: Turkey Liver, Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, Oatmeal, Dried Tomato Pomace
- Type: Non-Grain Free
- Profile: For Puppies, Adults, and Seniors
- Best For: All Breeds
All the dog’s food that is good for weight management is low in fats and sodium, and these foods are best for dogs suffering from congestive heart failures. The good thing about this food is real Wisconsin cheese is used in this food that provides all the required calories that your dog needs to maintain the muscle mass and support to recover from CHF.
When dealing with such a serious disease, you need to feed your dog in small quantities and multiple times.
4. Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Lamb, Menhaden Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice
- Type: Non-Grain Free
- Profile: For Adults and Seniors
- Best For: All Breeds
This is another addition to low sodium and low-fat dog foods; wellness is known for its quality products, and this is a natural product without wheat and corn.
The good thing that we like most is “spinach” yes, it also featured spinach, which is really good to naturally support a dog suffering from congestive heart problems. It provides balanced nutritional support.
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5. Hill's Science Diet Dog Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Lamb Meal, Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Sorghum, Cracked Pearled Barley
- Type: Non-Grain Free
- Profile: For Adults and Seniors
- Best For: All Breeds
This recipe from the Hill sciences also supports the joint and other benefits needed for a digestive heart problem. It is crafted to fuel to energy needs of your large breed dogs.
When your dog is suffering from a digestive heart problem and needs joint support at that time, this nutritious food provides all that pooch needs. Your four-legged friend loves to eat lamb flavor food. Proudly made in the USA with natural ingredients.
What are the Types of Congestive Heart Failures in Dogs?
There are two main types of this disease, both are different from each other, and both needed different medication if required. But when it’s food, you can feed the same food in both types. Especial dog food recipes for congestive heart failure that we list above are good for both types. In short, this disease is called CHF.
Right-Side congestive heart failure (CHF)
In this type of insufficient venous return to the heart, blood leaks through the tricuspid valve when it pumps the blood. In this type, fluid may fill the stomach of your dog and damage other organs. It may cause swelling.
Right-Side congestive heart failure (CHF)
Instead of pumping the blood into the left vertical heart pumps blood into the systemic circulation. As a result, fluid can reach the lungs that may result in pulmonary edema.
What are the Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failures CHF in Dogs?
In the early stage of this disease, your dog may not show any symptoms, this is the reason it is hard to detect from the early stage. But as the disease progress, your dog may show some signs at all, signs may include:
- Difficult or rapid breathing
- Coughing
- Fainting episodes
- Difficulty exercising
- Collapse
- Weakness or lethargy (tiredness)
- Gray or blue gums
- Abdominal distention
- Sudden death
CHF, congestive heart failure is basically diagnosed through physical examination that is based on the symptoms. The vet can detect it with the stethoscope because the fluid in the lungs causes sound. The initial examination may lead to other tests to find the definite condition of the disease.
Treatment of CHF
If the CHF is caused by heartworm disease, then treating an underlying disease may resolve the congestive heart failure in dogs. Still, in most cases, it cannot be cured, but the treatment extends the life of a dog and improves the quality of life.
Dogs may need initial hospitalization and oxygen therapy in case of intense congestive heart failure. Medicines are available that vets recommend to cure the disease and improve the heart condition, mainly a low sodium diet is also recommended to minimize fluid accumulation.
Most dogs need medicine for the rest of their life and parodic blood test too. As an owner, you need to involve in the treatment fully. It will also help you’re to decide what to feed in such a condition.
Watch the video to make a recipe at home
References
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- https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/congestive-heart-failure-in-dogs
- https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/congestive-heart-failure-dogs#1
- http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/congestive-heart-failure-dogs
- https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/heart-and-blood-vessel-disorders-of-dogs/heart-failure-in-dogs
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