Keeping your dog’s heart healthy is equally as vital as keeping your own because your dog is a family member. The prevalence of coronary artery disease in dogs is lower than in people, yet elderly dogs can have serious problems with heart failure. Your dog’s heart is vulnerable, but it is possible to prevent damage. Here are some things to keep in mind to safeguard your dog’s heart.
Healthy Diet
Like humans, pets can develop cardiovascular disease from eating a diet high in fat and salt. These foods increase the risk of hypertension, obesity, and cholesterol levels.
Feed your pet a premium dry or canned food brand, and supplement it with high-quality protein and vegetables. Vegetables are better than packaged treats for your pet. Change your pet’s diet with a wide variety of colorful veggies to increase the variety of antioxidants they consume.
However, several meals should be avoided. Stay away from any form of these savory vegetables. Since they can be toxic to some animals, grapes and raisins are likewise off-limits. However, if your pet already has excessive body fat, you should avoid feeding them fruit. On rare occasions, organic berries can be used.
Consider the calorie density of the meal you plan to serve to determine how much food to prepare. A low-calorie diet could be the best option if your pet is overweight. Use a measuring cup to ensure that the amounts you feed are accurate.
Regular Exercise
The same is true for humans: inactivity leads to heart disease. For this reason, you and your partner can greatly reduce your risk of getting heart disease by engaging in moderate exercise daily. However, checking with a doctor before beginning any new training routine is typically a good idea.
A dog’s annual exam can identify and rule out any preexisting conditions that could worsen with physical activity. The amount of time your pet spends outside should be increased slowly if he is not used to being active. Start by exercising for 10 minutes a few times a week, then work up to exercising for 30 minutes a day. Exercise can take the shape of any following: walking, jogging, swimming, hiking, fetching, or agility training.
Remember that the amount of exercise a pet needs varies greatly depending on age, breed, weight, and health factors. If you’re unsure how much exercise your pet needs, it’s best to ask a vet.
Weight Management
There is a link between pet obesity and cardiovascular illness. Like humans, animals with excess weight require more work from their hearts. However, losing weight will help your heart and lungs work better.
Before a pet successfully loses weight, a vet must address or rule out any underlying medical conditions. Without other health problems, the key to weight loss is to burn more calories than your pet takes in.
Regular Checkups
It’s crucial to maintain routine checkups with your medical professionals. If you take your pet in for regular checkups, your veterinarian can spot problems like a heart murmur early on (or semiannually for elderly pets and reap the benefits of cold laser therapy or any other treatment needed). It’s vital to know this since animals sometimes hide their symptoms of illness until they’ve advanced sufficiently.
Conclusion
Dogs are good for our hearts in more ways than one, as anyone who has shared their life with one can attest. Numerous studies provide evidence for this. Many risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke can be mitigated by owning a dog, including loneliness, inactivity, and high blood pressure. They have the potential to make people live longer possibly. However, the canine heart also needs care and attention. And people can take measures to guarantee that they do.
