Supplements for Heart Conditions

I am just trying to gather any information or input that I can regarding supplements that may be beneficial to dogs with heart conditions.

As some of you may know, we recently found out that Bransen has a heart irregularity.
He has an ultrasound on the 28th so until then I have just been trying to do what I can in terms of changing our diet and exercise routine.
We are in the process of switching over from TOTW to Orijen as we want to decrease his salt/sodium intake.

Here is a little chart I made of the supplements he is/is going to be taking:



Any comments or suggestions on this would be appreciated.
I will be going over it with my vet, but I did briefly speak with her about these supplements and she agreed that it'd be beneficial.

So, I guess I am just looking for any input from those who are more experienced with the subject than I am.

 

Are they putting him on lotensin or is he not at that point yet? They just started Arez on it. I'd love to hear some more input on supplements as well....

 

Another great supplement for the heart is Hawthorn Berry it helps to improve and strengthen the contraction of the heart muscle in cardiac disease patients it can also be used to lower high blood pressure. Co Q10 is also very good at helping regulate cardiac arrhythmia's by suppling cellular energy within the electrical system of the heart.

http://books.google.com/books?id=4l...A#v=onepage&q=hawthorn berry for dogs&f=false

 

Looks like a good book to have Sadie. Puttin it on my list. lol Thanks for sharing.

 

What exact heart condition does your dog? I have a dog who has pulmonic stenosis. She is 9 ;2 years old and is stable thanks to a good raw diet, fish oil pills and Atenolol.

Here are some good links on the subject.

http://www.2ndchance.info/pulmonaryhypertension.htm
http://www.2ndchance.info/dogdilcardiomyopathy.htm
http://www.2ndchance.info/conghtfaildog.htm
http://www.2ndchance.info/heart.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000819/

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the input, everyone!

Zoe, no he's not at the point where he needs medication yet, but I know Lotensin may be an option down the road.

Sadie, I will have to check that book out.

Roccity, we aren't sure of his actual condition yet. The vet just noticed an "irregularity" in his rhythm when he was having surgery to remove a small benign tumor from his side. He's only 3.

 

This is the route you need to go!! It is also called D-Ribose, you can get it at any GNC type store. It is a must to help your problem. TSK

 

Ya.... my old girl Venus RIP took furosemide (Lasix).

 

Ya... Venus went on it at 15. She didn't make it to 16. Man, I sure miss that dog....

 

Have you gotten a second opinion on the diagnosis yet? A sick dog is a vets best friend....


NGK

 

You guys are killing me with all this negative talk! I am so sorry about Venus, Zoe.

NGK, no I haven't. There hasn't really been a diagnosis yet, all that my vet can tell me is that he has an irregularity which she suspects is likely a valve issue. She's the best vet in our area, so a second opinion (until the ultrasound is done) would be rather pointless.

When he goes in for the ultrasound, he is going to be an "example specimen" for the class that the vets are taking so that they can use the ultrasound equipment. He will be the center of attention and vets from every clinic in town will be attending. So hopefully we will get a good thorough understanding of the issue at hand, as well as multiple opinions.

I know what you mean about sick dogs being a vets' best friend, but this vet seems to truly care about her clients more than her income - as rare as that may be these days. She's waved many of our exam fees and helps us "work around" the costs of different things so that we can save money. She really seems to be an awesome person aside from being a great vet.

 

Are they going to sedate him for the ultrasound? They didn't sedate Venus for them but they said sometimes they do if the dog can't remain reasonably still.

 

I am not sure yet. Maybe, he gets kinda wiggly so I guess we'll see!

 

Sending good vibes for you guys! Hope it's nothing serious!

 

Thanks, Zoe!
I wanted to update you all that Bransen had his echocardiogram done and his heart is great!
Thank you all for the support, advice and other kind words - it truly does mean a lot!

 

Awesomeness!