I am not using this post to get into the science of why a dogs heart fails. To much science for the morning. I am going to tell you how I chose to help strengthen Bailley’s heart with supplements and nutrition combined with prescription meds.
Signs of heart disease
- Loss of appetite
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing / unwarranted or excessive panting
- Laziness or being reluctant to exercise, along with an unwillingness to lay down or Inability to rest comfortably
- Swelling of the Abdomen
- Exhaustion and Lethargy
From everything I have read only a small percentage of dogs are actually born with an inherited heart problem. Most are acquired. I believe Bailley’s heart has been effected by her cushings and before we knew it the damage was pretty bad. Bailley has always had once a year check ups with blood work. Last year we went one and a half year and I regret it so terribly bad. That 1/2 of a year would have saved a lot of damage to her heart that can never be reversed. The heart is no like the liver, once its damaged it will never get better. The heart is a muscle and muscles, once stretched do not go back. Bailley’s heart is about 3 times the size it should be. It is so big you can see in the x-ray it is touching her trachea. She also has a grade 4 murmur. Murmurs are graded 1 – 5.
I do not believe in once a year vaccines. I do however believe in once a year check ups. Even if all you do is take your dog for an exam. If your dog is over six I strongly suggest blood work every year as well. You will end up saving money and gifting your dog with a longer quality of life.
Currently Bailley is on Benazepril to dilate the vessels to lower the load on the heart. She is also on a tiny dose of Lasix twice a day to prevent fluid from building in the body or around the heart.
I have also chose a low sodium diet as this is highly recommended for humans as well as pets with heart issues. I am cooking her food so I know whats in it and I do not have to depend on pet food companies to be honest about whats in the bag. I have also chose a few supplements that have been proven to strengthen the heart muscle making it work more effectually.
CoQ10 is unanimously agreed upon by all heart specialists to be very beneficial. CoQ10 is a naturally occurring coenzyme that young dogs have in plentiful supply. But as they age, your pet’s ability to produce CoQ10 decreases.
CoQ10 supplements come in two forms: Ubiquinone and Ubiqunol. Ubiquinol is a reduced form of CoQ10 and is the supplement recommended. Supplying your pet with extra CoQ10 can insure the quantity to maintain a healthy heart muscle. I wish I had known about this before my baby got sick. I would have started giving when she was 6 or 7 to help maintain the muscle and possibly prevent the extensive damage she has now. I have started Phoebe on this and she is now 7. Bailley takes 100 mg daily. Combined with her prescription meds it has been shown to reduce heart muscle abnormality, it has also proved to slow of the progression of clinical signs of heart disease giving pets greater quality of life for longer periods.
L-carnitine – exists in just about every cell in our body. Some pets may be low and supplementing will save their life. Carnitine is one of the better-researched supplements and appears to be of benefit in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy. Pets that are taking anticonvulsants, particularly phenytoin (Dilantin) or phenobarbital, (for ceasures) may need extra carnitine. Bailley get 500 mg a day
Taurine – is great for Dilated Cardiomyopathy and retinal issues in dogs. Bailley get 500mg per day. The jury is out as to weather giving Taurine post diagnosis of heart disease helps but studies show it cannot hurt and can be beneficial.
Hawthorn berry – Hawthorn dilates both coronary vessels and vessels of the brain, helping to increase circulation and the transport of nutrients and oxygen throughout the body. Another well-documented benefit of hawthorn is its ability to steady and strengthen a weak or erratic heartbeat. Hawthorn is another supplement you can give in the golden years to help make the heart more effective. It is given to a dog with diagnosed heart disease. Hawthorn Berry is a very helpful supplement when treating canine heart worms. I will start all of my dogs on this supplement by age 6 – 7. Phoebe has started taking this as well. Bailley gets 510 mg a day.
I have been giving all of the above to Bailley for over a month. Blood work has proved none of this to be harmful. Exam and blood work have shown these supplements are helping.
I know this was a boring post with a lot of boring info but I thought it would be good to put all of the information , I found useful in one place for the next person who is searching for a way to help their baby.
bailleysblog 