Valentine’s month seemed like a good time to talk about keeping our pets’ hearts healthy and strong. Like with many things, owners tend to see pets as small humans and feel they need the same care as humans do for good cardiac health. With things like weight control and exercise, this is true. However, for many other things, this isn’t always the case.
The first item is knowing your breed. Just like families passing down heart disease through the generations, pet breeds can also have genetic predispositions to specific heart diseases. So, you should be aware of this before and after you choose a breed. Your veterinarian will be aware of these genetic factors when recommending food and preventive care.
The second is nutrition. Most people hear this and they think about things like cholesterol and salt. In the case of cholesterol, there is evidence that it can build up in pets’ blood vessels. However, our pets unfortunately do not live long enough for this to create a blockage. Similarly, salt and sodium are not much of a problem for the same reason. While this can cause high blood pressure, it does not seem to lead to heart problems in otherwise healthy pets. When they are already in heart failure, sodium control is important to prevent worsening signs.
One very important item is the amino acid taurine. I have mentioned this in past articles as something that humans can make just from eating any other protein. Once produced, it functions by keeping heart muscle strong and healthy. Dogs and cats, however, cannot produce it and this must be included in their diet. It is found naturally in organ meat such as the liver, spleen, and other “guts”. Unfortunately, these guts are classified as a “by-product” of the meat production industry for humans and some smaller, naïve pet food companies have been eliminating them from their diets. It’s nothing malicious, they just don’t seem to know any better. This means that they will need to supplement their foods with taurine… something that must be done carefully. This has not been happening, especially with some of the grain free foods where meat content is lowered even more as grains are replaced with beans. The result of this has been young dogs with serious heart problems from preventable malnutrition.
The last (somewhat self-serving…) item is regular check-ups. Your vet will notice things with your pet’s heart long before you do. Things like quiet murmurs, slight arrythmias, and changes in pulses are things that require a lot of training to notice and allow vets to start early care to prolong their patients’ lives. For many heart diseases, the first signs a pet owner may notice are those associated with heart failure. This can range from respiratory distress to sudden death. It’s much better to find out there is a problem before this becomes the result.