Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Does a dog with congestive heart failure need low sodium food?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 4 years and 11 months old | 17 lbs

What sodium level (dry matter basis) is recommended for a dog who had congestive heart failure? Just wondering for the future if needed.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Liz DeWandeler, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 7th, 2017

What a great question! The most recent research indicates that dogs with CHF that are doing well usually do not need a sodium restricted diet. The most important thing is to keep them eating well, and salt increases palatability of most foods. However, a pet that is decompensating may benefit from a sodium-restricted diet. The prescription diets for heart disease typically have around a 0.10% salt content by dry matter.

3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 16th, 2017
Natural Balance vegetarian food has been formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of the average dog, and while it is low in sodium it probably does not have the same benefits as a prescription diet. If your veterinarian recommended a prescription diet made by Hill's you could ask about alternative brands like Royal Canin or Purina. If you aren't a fan of those brands you could also look into a home cooked diet: your veterinarian can direct you to a nutritionist or you can visit BalanceIT.com to have a nutrionist formulate a diet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian
Published on June 16th, 2017
Of course it is more ideal to be on a prescription heart disease due to the low sodium content but I have found not a lot of dogs are willing to eat it. I would prefer a dog to eat their regular well balance food than not eat at all and honestly, I do not find a huge difference in success in treatment when comparing the dogs that eat the special diet vs those that won't. I would make sure if she does develop heart disease that she is properly worked up (chest X-rays, blood pressure, ECG, and echo) then put on the appropriate medications to treat her heart disease.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Food & Nutrition

CHF dog: Should I switch food and test my well water for sodium?

It is true that Hills makes a diet that is designed to support heart health. The diet is designed to be low sodium low protein low phosphorus and high in corn which contains several different vitamins and minerals that will support the health of your dog when they are in heart failure. That being said neither I nor any of the other doctors with which I work go around recommending this food to any of our cardiac patients. This is because there is no scientific evidence to support the efficacy of this product. That is not to say that it doesn't work as there are many different anecdotal reports that it has extended people's pets lives. In terms of the water you are giving your pet if you are concerned that there is a high level of sodium in the water I would recommend having it tested. You could also give bottled water if you are concerned. The mainstay treatment for cardiac failure in dogs are diuretics and blood pressure drugs. Depending on the cause of the congestive heart failure there's another drug called pimobendan that your veterinarian may also recommend. In some cases this has been proven to significantly extend quality and longevity of dog's lives.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog has heart concerns. What's a safe sodium level in dog food?

This is a great question, and thanks for taking such good care of Chloe! Salt is added to most dog food to improve the flavor, and it is not common to have variable amounts depending on the food. We do not recommend salt restricted foods unless a dog is already in Congestive Heart Failure, at the recommendation of your veterinarian. What is most important for Chloe is that you are feeding a high quality diet that helps her have a healthy coat and normal, formed feces. Hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has congestive heart failure. What care helps besides meds?

For now there is very little you can do except start the medication prescribed and wait for them to work. Your dog should start feeling a lot better within the next few days with less fluid in his lungs and better cardiac function. You can start feeding a special diet for dogs with congestive heart failure, such as Hills Prescription h/d. Such diets typically have restricted sodium levels to limit fluid retention, added taurine and L-carnitine, and amino acids that may help support heart function, added B-vitamins and magnesium. Here is some good information: http://www.vermontveterinarycardiology.com/index.php/for-clients/feeding-the-cardiac-patient

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog has an enlarged heart. What wet food should I feed him?

Many OTC wet dog foods can be high in salt content, which should be avoided in dogs with heart disease. If you would prefer that Champ be on a wet dog food, then you may want to discuss a prescription heart diet with your vet. If your vet does not have concerns about salt content at this stage of heart disease, then you can choose a diet based on your budget and dietary preferences for Champ. I feed my dogs Purina ProPlan because I like their quality of ingredients and the diet fits in my budget.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog needs a low sodium diet. Which dog food has the lowest salt?

There are hundreds of brands of dog foods available and it would be impossible for us to compare them all. If champ has a medical condition requiring a lower salt content your vet should be able to advise on a suitable range, often those designed to manage heart and kidney disease are specifically sodium restricted bit this is not necessary in young, healthy dogs

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

What's the best heart-healthy food for my senior dog with a murmur?

Great question! Most diets that are formulated for heart conditions are low in sodium, and thus prescription based. Lower sodium diets are not typically recommended for the "average" dog. Talk to your vet about the Science Diet H/D or Royal Canin Early Cardiac diets for Lulu.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog with CHF ate biscuits. Is his increased coughing from sodium?

Sodium does not seem to make as much of a difference in dogs as it does in humans and does not seem to affect blood pressure as quickly as a couple of hours, so I would not expect that the sodium in the biscuits is causing the increase in Coco's coughing. If Coco was very excited about getting into the biscuits or if he ate a large number of them, that could contribute to an increase in coughing, but I would expect it to be temporary, so if Coco continues coughing, I would certainly recommend having your veterinarian examine him to determine if he needs some additional treatment. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share