Heart Problems 
Heart Problems The conditions veterinarians see most frequently are congestive heart failure and cardiomyopathy, a degeneration of the heart muscle. Typical clinical signs include the following:
coughing, usually at night or upon arising.
wheezing, shortness of breath.
potbelly or swollen limbs.
lack of energy and lethargy, with continual sleeping and depression.
fainting, stumbling, or weakness.
loss of appetite.
Such signs can result from many different causes. Your best bet, if you see any of these, is to get a veterinarian’s diagnosis at once. If the heart is ailing, early detection and prompt correction improve the prognosis. An annual checkup is good insurance against heart disease.
Heart disease is not necessarily an “old dog” phenomenon. Many dogs grow old before their time with weakening hearts and impaired circulation. “The problem has become increasingly prevalent at younger ages,” says Robert Goldstein, VMD. “Seven or eight is not uncommon. Unlike the situation with humans, the problem is not a result of clogged arteries. Some heart conditions are congenital, but I believe the trend involving younger animals is largely related to poor-quality nutrition, unnecessary vaccines, and exposure to environmental and chemical pollutants, which create inflammatory responses to a suppressed immune system.”
For an existing heart condition, follow your veterinarian’s therapeutic program, which generally includes a variety of medications. Alternative and conventional therapies used in concert can be quite effective.
Holistic veterinarians often recommend acupuncture for animals with heart problems. It helps rebalance the body and remove energy blockages. See chapter 12 for more on acupuncture.
The most popular nutritional Supplement for heart conditions is coenzyme Q10, called CoQ10 for short. This fat-soluble vitamin has been widely studied and used clinically around the world for heart patients. It is a magnificent nutrient, recommended by many holistic veterinarians for their heart patients. You can purchase the product in health food stores.
CoQ10 directly contributes to the production of energy in all cells of the body, a highly therapeutic benefit for ailing hearts. The heart muscle, which pumps blood through the body nonstop around the clock, has a particularly high requirement for energy. CoQ10 also provides powerful antioxidant protection in the body. It is a very safe supplement and is most effective when given with food that contains some fat. Many veterinarians recommend CoQ10 along with other heart supportive supplements, such as vitamin E, the amino acid L-carnitine, and hawthorn, a cardioprotective herb. Holistic practitioners often suggest putting animals prone to heart problems, such as Shar-peis and Dobermans, on such a preventive program early on in life.
In this section you will see a variety of dosage recommendations. If you have any doubts about what is appropriate for your animal, always start low and increase the amount if necessary. Ideally, consult with a holistic veterinarian.
For anything even faintly resembling a heart or circulatory problem, CoQ10 is the nutritional supplement of choice to help the heart muscle and blood vessels. I regard it as an effective addition to any heart treatment. It won’t interfere with anything your veterinarian is doing. It will only help.
I use it when animals have a chronic heart cough, a swollen abdomen from fluid retention, a heart murmur, cardiomyopathy, and common heart insufficiency. It is a rare older dog who doesn’t come in with some sign of this kind of insufficiency. The heart just can’t move blood with enough pressure and force. The heart muscle is tired, and we need to feed it. CoQ10 is the perfect nutrient for these older hearts. It energizes the heart muscle, generating more go power. Animals cough less. They behave as if their blood is moving as it’s supposed to, delivering oxygen and blood-borne nutrients in a more efficient manner. The heart murmur won’t go away in the older dog, although I have occasionally seen that happen in younger animals.
Give twice daily. Small dogs, 10 milligrams each time; larger dogs, 30 milligrams.
For valvular conditions in dogs, I have used CoQ10, and it works well. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for most cardiac conditions. Animals feel better with it. It works to improve circulation and oxygenation to the heart muscle. If the pump works better, the whole system is going to perk up. Usually you see improvement within a couple of weeks.
Above all, feed the best possible diet. Then add to the food a number of excellent heart-specific nutrients—all readily available in health food stores. These nutrients can enhance your animal’s prognosis and improve its quality of life.
My heart supplement program includes CoQ10, which, when given long-term, can lessen your animal’s dependence on medication. It also encourages more exercise, improves circulation, and promotes weight loss in obese animals. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory vitamin that improves circulation and heart output. L-carnitine is an amino acid that improves the strength of the heart muscle, gives general support to the muscles, and helps burn fat. Finally, powdered kelp offers an excellent source of minerals that supplies the body’s electrical system, which in turn keeps the heart pumping. Commercial pet foods are often deficient in minerals or contain minerals in a form that are poorly absorbed. Look for a deep, cold-water source of kelp at health food stores.
Just as it is with humans, regular exercise is important for animals. It improves general circulation. Ultimately the best answer for heart disease lies in prevention, where diet and exercise share the spotlight.
To create an individually tailored nutritional and remedy program for patients with heart disease and other serious, life-threatening conditions, I use a special test I developed years ago. The test is called the Bio-Nutritional Analysis and is available to veterinarians at 800-670-0830 (for more details see chapter 16).
CoQ10: Dogs up to fourteen pounds, 10 milligrams daily; dogs up to thirty-four pounds, 20 milligrams; dogs up to eighty-four pounds, 30 milligrams; giant breeds, 40 to 50 milligrams.
Vitamin E: Dogs up to fourteen pounds, 200 international units (IU) daily; dogs up to thirty-four pounds, 400 IU; dogs up to eighty-four pounds, 600 IU; giant breeds, 800 IU.
L-carnitine: Dogs up to fourteen pounds, 250 milligrams daily; dogs up to eighty-four pounds, 500 milligrams; giant breeds, 750 milligrams.
Kelp: Dogs up to fourteen pounds, 1/2 teaspoon per meal, mixed into food; dogs up to thirty-four pounds, 1 teaspoon; dogs up to eighty-four pounds, 1 1/2 teaspoons; giant breeds, 2 teaspoons.
After graduating from veterinary school thirty years ago, I started practicing under an old veterinarian who had followed the work of Wilfrid Shute, M.D., the Canadian pioneer of vitamin E for heart conditions. We used the vitamin along with selenium, a mineral also important for the heart. The results were quite dramatic. A dog would come in with a weakened heart, an enlarged heart, or a murmur, and we would start them on the supplements. A month later, when we saw them again, they were new animals with more energy and clearly acting as if they were feeling better. I was never taught this in medical school, but I became a believer way back then and have been using this combination ever since for old animals and animals with weak hearts, cardiomyopathy, or any cardiac condition. More recently I added CoQ10, the vitamin that perks up the heart muscle.
I suggest the following program if you want to try a holistic approach for heart problems, perhaps when the condition is not advanced enough to necessitate drugs or when drugs are causing problems. You can also use this to support any conventional treatment. Along with a good diet, you should see solid improvement within a month.
Vitamin E (preferably in the form of d-alpha tocopherol [natural vitamin E]): Small and medium dogs, 100 IU daily; large dogs, 200 IU; giant breeds, 400 IU.
Selenium (preferably in the form of selenium methion-ate): 100 to 400 micrograms daily, depending on size.
CoQ10: 1 milligram per pound of body weight. Cut back to half dose for maintenance when animal improves.
If a dog’s condition is not advanced, I recommend an antioxidant supplement I developed that helps strengthen the heart muscle and generate more vitality. The product is called Vital Tabs and is available from Orthomolecular Specialties (408-227-9334). The formula contains vitamins A and E, plus selenium. It can be used along with standard medication. Sometimes it will help eliminate the dry, hacking cough that accompanies the typical valvular insufficiency problems of older dogs. It may permit a reduction in medication. Follow dosage suggestions on the label.
I recommend adding beef or lamb heart to the food of animals with heart conditions. Studies have shown that proteins from a particular organ meat will actually be utilized by that organ.
The primary supplement in my heart program is hawthorn, an herb that comes from Europe. It is available in health food stores. Be sure to purchase a product that contains a standardized extract of the herb. Hawthorn is packed with potent compounds called vitexin, quercetin, and oligomeric procyanidins. These are phytochemicals—natural plant chemicals—that improve the flow of blood to the heart and extremities and also promote the pumping action of the heart muscle. Normally it takes different pharmaceutical drugs to dilate the coronary arteries and increase blood flow to the muscle. But hawthorn does it efficiently and safely, without building up and causing problems in the system. The heart is strengthened and the heartbeat is normalized if there is an irregular rhythm.
According to Michael Tierra, a prominent herbal expert and author of Planetary Herbology (Lotus Press, Santa Fe, 1988), hawthorn is “one of the most reliable herbs for heart problems.” In Europe hawthorn is frequently recommended in general medical and cardiology practices to improve heart function. Scientific studies indicate that hawthorn is beneficial for congestive heart failure. In addition, studies on certain ingredients contained in hawthorn have shown that the compound also exerts a strong antioxidant action in the cardiovascular system.
I also use a good deal of CoQ10, particularly for dogs with cardiomyopathies. I don’t stop any prescriptive medication; however, over a few months’ time an animal may improve enough on the combination so that medication can be reduced and perhaps even discontinued. But always work with a veterinarian, and do not stop medication on your own. With heart diseases other than cardiomyopathy, you generally have more time to utilize natural approaches. In such cases medication keeps the animal alive long enough for the nutrition and natural remedies to help.
Hawthorn: Dogs up to forty pounds, one-quarter to one-half the human dose; larger dogs, up to a full dose, depending on size. Liquid tinctures may be easier to administer to small dogs and capsules to larger animals. Older dogs usually stay on it indefinitely. For an animal with heartworms or other heart-related problems, give as long as the problems exist.
CoQ10: Small dogs, 10 milligrams daily; larger dogs, up to 100 milligrams.
DOES YOUR DOG’S HEART PROBLEM START IN THE MOUTH?—JAN BELLOWS, DVM
If your animal’s teeth are not cleaned properly, you may face the risk of not just gum disease, but heart disease as well. Animals with bad gums are more prone to heart problems.
Bacterial infections originating in the gums are known to spread into the body and attack the heart valves. The result is a condition known as “bacterial endocarditis.” It can be deadly. The disturbance to the tissue interferes with the proper function of the valves. Fluid may back up into the lungs and cause congestive heart failure.
Refer to the section on dental health for information on how to keep your pet’s mouth healthy.