Lots
of great information about diets for dogs with congestive heart failure.
What you feed any dog with
congestive heart failure is very important. What you will find is that dogs
with this disease are less active. As a result they have a tendency to put on
weight if their diet isn’t monitored. When they are overweight, they will also
create more of a strain on the heart. As a concerned owner, it is your job to
make sure the foods you offer are good for them.
A low sodium diet is very important
for a dog with this type of medical condition. The more progressed stage that
it is in, the less sodium you want to allow your dog to have. Feeding your dog
several small meals daily instead of a larger amount once or twice a day is a
good idea. This process gives the body the chance to process the food easier.
It will also help your dog to avoid hunger if they are getting less than
before.
Adding the supplement L-Carnitine
which is an amino acid is a good idea. You can add it to the foods that you
offer but you do want to make sure your dog consumes all of it. Otherwise the
supplement won’t be doing what it is supposed to for them. It is expensive
though so be ready for the cost. Your vet can help you to determine how much to
give your dog daily. It will depend on their overall body weight.
Work with your vet to determine the
right diet for your dog if he or she has been diagnosed with congestive heart
failure. You also want to make sure you are offering the right amount of food.
Giving them too much or too little can be hard on their overall health. Your
vet can help you out by ordering high quality dog food for you to feed your
pet.
Another option to consider involves
making your own dog food for them. It is affordable and you will be in control
of the ingredients. You can make large batches and then freeze it. That way you
don’t have to be involved with the process all the time in order to feed your
dog. Make sure you carefully read labels on any dog food produces you purchase
for a dog with congestive heart failure.
Unfortunately there is no cure for
dogs that have congestive heart failure. However, research does show your dog
may be able to live for several more years with the right treatment. A quality
diet is a vital part of being successful with adding this time and also
offering your pet a good quality of life during that time.
The sooner that the diagnosis can be
made the better chance you have of helping your dog with positive changes. In
the later stages, the changes in diet may not be enough for your dog to survive
more than a few days or a week. Offering your pet a good quality diet early on
can also help to lower the risk of congestive heart failure developing for them
when they get older.