Holistic diet & supplements for my senior chihuahua's enlarged heart?

Thanks for asking PetCoach! When we use a holistic approach to treatment, we need to remember that it is best to think of it as a marriage of traditional western medicine (drugs) with eastern medicine (herbs, acupuncture, etc). Some of the medications we use for congestive heart failure just CANNOT be replaced-- for instance Lasix (furosemide) - this medication is essential in treatment of chf. Additional treatments in addition to frequently used drugs for CHF would include acupuncture, as well as an herb called Hawthorn. This herb is not going to interfere with Lasix (furosemide), Vetmedin (pimobendan), or enalipril. If she is on digoxin (used to treat some arrhythmias), it could potentially interfere. I recommend Standard Process/Medi-herb brand for herbals. Here is a website to find a place that sells this brand: https://www.standardprocess.com/HCP-Search Adding acupuncture and Hawthorn would be the best suggestion I have for you. Good luck with your dog!

With my research I was able to find a reliable source that contradicts the use of both Young at heart and Pimobendan (Vetmedin). Since your pet is already on Vetmedin, he should not be on this supplement. The other heart medication, Enalapril, can be given with this supplement however, but I am unsure if this is indicated for your pets specific heart condition or not. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8501760 I would however suggest getting him on a prescription dog food for pets with heart disease such as Hill's H/D or Royal Canin Cardiac. I hope that Krystal's condition stabilizes soon with her heart medications. The best we can hope for is to help her compensate for her heart defect as long as feasibly possible. Best of luck to you and take care!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While this would be a good short term diet, this lacks some key nutrients, vitamins and minerals. For that reason, a more complete commercial diet such as any of the Purina Pro Plan or Science Diet foods would be more appropriate. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Pako has a deficiency of Taurine and L-carnitine, then yes, he should be on a supplement. However, that being said, most commercial dog food diets have sufficient amounts of both and most dogs do not need supplementation. If your veterinarian thinks this will help, I would look at ordering the following product, which can be found online quite easily. Liver support medications such as Hepagen C as well as a low protein, low fat diet such as Purina NF, Hills L/D diet, or Royal Canin Hepatic Support diet can help as well. These diets are formulated especially for dogs that have liver problems such as liver shunts, and they make it easier for the liver to metabolize nutrients that are provided to the body. Pako will have a decreased live span without surgical treatment of this disease. He may live a few years without many problems, but the disease can become refractory, and the neurological signs may worsen over time. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Omega 3 fatty acids for pets can help with heart health. Royal Canin makes a diet for dogs with heart disease. Lastly, it is not fully understood, but there appears to be a link between grain free dog food and heart enlargement. If you are feeding a grain free diet, you may talk with your veterinarian about a diet change. I hope this helps.

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach! Based on the radiograph you attached, the vertebral heart score (VHS) is on the larger measurement and overall the heart does have increased contact with the sternum. There does not appear to be evidence of heart failure, but I am limited with one x-ray view and no ability to adjust the contrast. I don't know what medication your veterinarian started Bono on but in this case, I would recommend starting omega 3 fish oil, Pimobendan (prescription medication that helps delay on the onset of heart failure and helps the heart pump more efficiently). I would also look into heart supplements such as Standard Process Whole Body Support and Cardiac support (if available in your country). Here is an article from my hospital on heart disease and what to look out for. Mitral valve disease is one of the most common heart conditions we see in dogs. I hope this helps and provides you with more information. If you have any concerns, I would reach out to the veterinarian who has been seeing Bono. https://www.neighborhoodvetclinic.com/degenerative-valve-disease-myxomatous-mitral-valve-disease/

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Unfortunately, if Chloe is dealing with kidney failure and heart disease, the weight will decrease. Cardiac disease can lead to what is called cardiac cachexia (muscle wasting) and renal disease can also lead to weight loss. The prognosis for both of these conditions is not good and if Chloe is taking a turn for the worse and medications are not helping, it may be time to consider letting Chloe go. I would first have a veterinarian take a look at her so that you can discuss this option further with the vet. If it is too much for her to go to the vet, I would look up a mobile veterinary clinic that comes to your house. I hope this helps!