The main goal: keep weight and muscle
Animals with heart failure often develop cardiac cachexia – loss of muscle mass – which worsens the outlook. That is why protein is not restricted in heart disease (unless there is also kidney disease – then your vet decides), and the priority is making sure your pet eats enough.
Sodium (salt)
- Before any signs of heart failure – a moderate reduction in sodium and no salty treats is enough.
- With heart failure – a reduced-sodium food (therapeutic “cardiac” diets); how strict depends on the stage and is decided by the cardiologist.
- Hidden salt: cheese, ham, sausages (often used to hide pills), bread, stock, tinned tuna and many dog treats.
Potassium and magnesium
Diuretics and some heart medicines change potassium and magnesium levels in the blood. They are monitored with blood tests, and supplements are given only on your vet’s advice.
Omega-3 (EPA and DHA from fish oil)
May help maintain appetite and muscle mass. Your vet sets the dose. Plant oils (linseed and others) are no substitute for fish oil.
Taurine and L-carnitine
- Cats. Taurine deficiency causes dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Complete cat foods contain enough taurine; the risk comes with home-made or vegetarian diets. If a cat has DCM, the vet will always check its diet.
- Dogs. In some breeds (American Cocker Spaniels, Newfoundlands, Golden Retrievers and others) DCM can be linked to taurine deficiency. Your vet may prescribe taurine and carnitine after testing.
- Grain-free foods high in peas, lentils and other pulses have been linked to “diet-associated” DCM in dogs. The cause is not yet known and research continues. If DCM is found in a dog eating such a food, vets usually advise changing it.
If appetite drops
Both the disease and its medicines can reduce appetite. Warming wet food, offering small portions and trying another flavour of the therapeutic food can help. If your pet is eating poorly, tell your vet – appetite stimulants are available. “Broth for appetite” is not suitable: it is very salty.
What not to do
- Cut protein “to spare the heart”.
- Design a menu yourself: a home-made diet for heart disease should be formulated by a veterinary nutritionist.
- Give human “heart” supplements.
- Stop medication and “replace” it with diet.
When to see a vet urgently
- a sleeping or resting breathing rate above 30–40 breaths per minute (count at home while your pet sleeps);
- breathlessness, open-mouth breathing in a cat, coughing;
- collapse, blue or pale gums;
- a cat suddenly loses the use of its back legs and cries in pain – possible thromboembolism.
Sources
- Keene B. W. et al. ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. J Vet Intern Med, 2019.
- Luis Fuentes V. et al. ACVIM consensus statement guidelines for the classification, diagnosis, and management of cardiomyopathies in cats. J Vet Intern Med, 2020.
- Freeman L. M. Cachexia and sarcopenia: emerging syndromes of importance in dogs and cats. J Vet Intern Med, 2012.
- Freeman L. M. et al. Diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs: what do we know? JAVMA, 2018.
- Pion P. D. et al. Myocardial failure in cats associated with low plasma taurine: a reversible cardiomyopathy. Science, 1987.
Paw4care editorial team
