Congestive heart failure is a general term that refers to a canine’s inability to deliver enough blood to its body due to a failing heart. It can be caused by either the left or right side of the heart or both sides of the heart.
There are several reasons for canine congestive heart failure (CHF). Congestive heart failure can be caused by high blood pressure, birth defects in the heart, heartworm disease, or a variety of other issues.
A dog with congestive heart failure may cough, have trouble breathing, experience tiredness, loss of appetite, or die suddenly. Treatment can help reverse congestive heart failure if the underlying cause is addressed. Medications are accessible to assist alleviate symptoms depending on the cause.
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In most cases, heart failure is diagnosed based on symptoms and physical examination findings in which fluid in the lungs makes them sound congested when your veterinarian listens with a stethoscope.
With the assistance of your veterinarian, you can ensure that your dog has an active and happy existence. This might be accomplished through nutrition, exercise, or medicine as required.
When selecting foods to assist with congestive heart failure, keep in mind a low-sodium diet, extra amino acid supplements like taurine to support the cardiac muscles, and high-quality ingredients.Surprisingly(or not!) The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) does not require sodium levels to be published!
I deal with congenital heart failure cases daily as a veterinarian, and I spend a lot of time researching the best dog foods for this condition to recommend them to my customers.
Generally speaking, most veterinarians use the following categories when discussing low-sodium diets (it is usually easier to use the amount of sodium provided for each 100k calorie as your unit of measure when comparing foods). Ask your vet which level of sodium restriction your dog requires::
• Dogs who require mild sodium restriction should be offered foods with between 0.35% and 0.5% sodium content (80 to 100mg/100kCal)
• Dogs who require moderate sodium restriction should only receive foods with between 0.1% and 0.35% sodium content (50 to 80mg/100kCal)
• Dogs who require severe sodium restriction should be offered food with less than 0.1% sodium content (<50mg/100kCal)
This article will explain or discuss:
- What Is the best food for dog’s suffering from congestive heart failure?
- The importance of salt and protein.
- Important supplementation for your dog.
- Acceptable treats and foods to avoid!
Let’s get started!
Whether you go dry or wet food, one of the easiest ways for you to determine good dog food is by reading the label and looking out for the AAFCO Statement.
All of the dog foods on this list are in accordance with the AAFCO nutrient profile recommendations for dogs.
Best Wet Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure
Merrick Chunky and BBQ Grain-Free Canned Wet Dog Food
- Sodium% Unit: 0.16
- First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey Broth, Carrots, Peas,
- Key feature: No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free
- Guaranteed Analysis: 8% Crude Protein, 3% Crude Fat, 1.8% Crude Fiber, 82% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 350 kcal/12.7 oz can
- Type of Product: Low Sodium
- Life Stage: Adult All Breed
This wholesome grain-free wet dog food features chunks of USDA-inspected deboned chicken first and hand-stuffed peas and carrots in a savory gravy your pup will love. And you can feel good knowing that this recipe is made in the USA in Merrick’s Hereford, Texas kitchen without any artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or by-products
About this item
- Real, wholesome USDA-inspected deboned chicken is always the first ingredient in this wet dog food
- Made without artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or by-products
- Grain-free dog food with vegetables like hand-stuffed peas and carrots and big chunks of chicken
Dog Food Recommended by Vets for Congestive Heart Failure
Hill’s Prescription Diet h/d Heart Care Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food
- Sodium:0.12% max
- First 5 Ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Pork Fat, Soy Protein Isolate, Chicken By-Product Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor
- Key feature: Pea-Free, Veterinary Diet
- Guaranteed Analysis: 8% Crude Protein, 3% Crude Fat, 1.8% Crude Fiber, 82% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 410 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: Low Sodium
- Life Stage: Adult All Breed
Poor heart health can affect your dog’s lifestyle and happiness. Because the food your dog eats plays an important role in his or her overall health and well-being, at Hill’s, nutritionists and veterinarians developed clinical nutrition especially formulated to support your dog’s heart health.
How it helps:
- Supports overall heart health
- Helps maintain normal blood pressure and minimize fluid retention
- Helps replenish lost nutrients for dogs receiving diuretics
- Helps support liver and kidney function
- Supports a healthy immune system
How it works:
- High levels of L-carnitine & taurine
- Reduced sodium
- Added potassium and magnesium
- Controlled levels of protein and phosphorus
- Clinically proven antioxidants
Veterinary Authorization
This item needs authorization from your veterinarian. Simply provide your pet and vet clinic information at Checkout and we’ll follow up with your veterinarian to confirm. If you have a copy of your authorization, you can expedite the process by uploading a scan or photo of it to the Prescriptions section in your account or your order confirmation. You can also email it to vetdiet@chewy.com.
Best Probiotic Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure
Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Lamb, Brown Rice & Pearled Barley Recipe Whole Grain Adult Dry Dog Food
- Sodium:0.23% max
- First 5 Ingredients: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Pearled Barley, Oatmeal
- Key feature: No Corn No Wheat No Soy
- Guaranteed Analysis: 22% Crude Protein, 10% Crude Fat, 4% Crude Fiber, 10% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 355 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: Low Sodium
- Life Stage: Adult All Breed
This features pasture-raised lamb as the first ingredient with healthy whole grains to support overall health and wellness. This diet contains brown rice and pearled barley, a rich source of fiber, B vitamins, and minerals. It is formulated to enhance your companion’s coat, sharpen his mind and boost his energy levels. This food also has a unique blend of functional superfoods, living probiotics, and rich omegas to help build strong muscles and provide gut health and overall immune support.
About this item
- Holistic adult dog recipe with healthy whole grains
- A carefully curated blend of 20 nutrient-dense Superfoods to provide a powerful source of natural vitamins and nutrients to nourish your pet
- Formulated to enhance your companion’s coat, sharpen his mind and boost his energy levels.
- Includes a unique blend of functional superfoods for overall immune support.
Best Low Sodium Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure
Evanger’s Super Premium Beef Dinner Grain-Free Canned Dog Food
- Sodium: 0.1136% on a dry matter basis
- First 5 Ingredients: Beef, Water Sufficient for Processing, Liver, Spinach, Kale, Cinnamon
- Key feature: No Corn No Wheat No Soy, High-Protein, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Pea-Free
- Guaranteed Analysis: 9% Crude Protein, 6% Crude Fat, 1.5% Crude Fiber, 8% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 337 kcal/can
- Type of Product: Low Sodium
- Life Stage: Adult All Breed
About this item
- Made with premium-quality, highly palatable, and nutritious ingredients with no soy, corn, wheat, artificial ingredients, harmful additives, preservatives, or by-products.
- Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and features a dash of cinnamon, spinach and kale slow-cooked in small batches.
- Contains Vitamins and minerals blended with all meats for a complete and balanced meal for all life stages, ages, and breeds.
- Kosher certified and endorsed by the Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC) as acceptable for your pet to enjoy during Passover.
Best Grain Free Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure
Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Holistic Salmon with Vegetables & Herbs Dry Dog Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Salmon Meal, Red Lentils, Chickpeas, Green Peas, Whitefish Meal
- Key feature: No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Low Glycemic, High-Protein, GMO-Free
- Guaranteed Analysis: 30% Crude Protein, 16% Crude Fat, 4% Crude Fiber, 10% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 454 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: Low Sodium, High Protein
- Life Stage: Adult All Breed
Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Holistic Grain-Free Salmon with Fruits & Vegetables Dry Dog Food is a healthy, hypoallergenic option for dogs with grain sensitivities. This delicious recipe combines salmon with low-glycemic grain alternatives and probiotics to promote nutrient absorption. A wholesome blend of blueberries, cranberries, carrots, beets and spinach round out the meal to provide immune system support with antioxidants and essential vitamins.
About this item
- Grain-free and gluten-free premium protein from salmon that’s rich in omega-3
- Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables support immune system health
- Cranberries and minerals help support urinary tract health
- Balanced ratio of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids for a vibrant coat
- Enriched with taurine to promote vision, heart, and reproductive health
Best Hypoallergenic Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure
ORIJEN Original Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Salmon Meal, Red Lentils, Chickpeas, Green Peas, Whitefish Meal
- Key feature: Grain-Free, High-Protein, Gluten-Free, Natural, Raw, No Corn No Wheat No Soy
- Guaranteed Analysis: 38% Crude Protein, 18% Crude Fat, 4% Crude Fiber, 12% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 473 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: Low Sodium, High Protein
- Life Stage: Adult All Breed
Orijen Original features free-run chicken and turkey, wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs that makeup 85% of the ingredient list. The other 15% comes from vegetables and fruit, With no gluten, potato, or tapioca. Unlike conventional dog food, 2/3 of the animal ingredients in this premium dog food are fresh or raw. Orijen pet food strives to give your dog the most Biologically Appropriate and nourishing diet possible.
About this item
- ORIJEN Original dog food delivers a diet rich and varied in fresh, whole animal ingredients from free-run chicken and turkey, wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs
- With 85% quality animal ingredients, ORIJEN nourishes dogs according to their natural, biological needs
- Using fresh and raw animal ingredients, including meat, organs, cartilage, and bone, ORIJEN is the Biologically Appropriate, grain-free diet that dogs have evolved to eat
Best Puppy Food for Congestive Heart Failure
The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dehydrated Dog Food
- First 5 Ingredients: Dehydrated Chicken, Organic Barley, Dehydrated Potatoes, Organic Flaxseed, Organic Oats
- Key feature: Grain-Free, High-Protein, Gluten-Free, Natural, Raw, No Corn No Wheat No Soy
- Guaranteed Analysis: 24% Crude Protein, 14% Crude Fat, 4% Crude Fiber, 8% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 485 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: Low Sodium, High Protein
- Life Stage: Adult All Breed
About this item
- FREE RANGE CHICKEN & ORGANIC GRAINS: The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken dog food is made with real whole food ingredients like free-range chicken, organic oats & bananas, which are gently dehydrated for maximum nutrient retention & digestion.
- SUITABLE FOR PUPPIES & ADULT DOGS: Complete & Balanced nutrition for adult dogs and puppies of all breeds and sizes, including large breed puppies, as well as adult mothers (gestation/lactation).
- HUMAN GRADE: Unlike most pet food, this recipe is 100% human grade – made with human-grade ingredients & produced in a human food facility. That means higher quality ingredients & more safety standards, just like you’d expect from your own food.
- WE SAY NO TO: This recipe contains no preservatives, by-products, fillers, GMO ingredients, corn, wheat, or soy.
Best Limited Ingredient Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure
Purina Beyond Natural Adult Dry Dog Food – Superfoods Blend Formula & Small Breed Formula
- First 5 Ingredients: Salmon, Rice, Whole Barley, Chicken Meal, Whole Oat Meal
- Key feature: Sensitive Digestion, Natural, No Corn No Wheat No Soy
- Guaranteed Analysis: 26% Crude Protein, 16% Crude Fat, 4% Crude Fiber, 12% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 437 kcal/cup
- Type of Product: Low Sodium, High Protein
- Life Stage: Adult All Breed
Formulated by pet nutritionists with real wild-caught salmon as the number one ingredient, this limited ingredient dry kibble contains healthy helpings of natural probiotics and more than 2000 mg of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids per cup.
Real egg, pumpkin, and whole oatmeal add delicious taste and healthy superfood nutrients, while vitamins and minerals round out the recipe for complete and balanced nutrition.
About this item
- High-quality, nutrient-dense formula with real, wild-caught salmon as the #1 ingredient
- The antioxidant-rich recipe helps support a healthy immune system, and natural probiotics support digestive health
- More than 2000 mg per cup of omega-3 and omega-6 to support healthy skin and coat for dogs
- Limited ingredient dog food recipe with no corn, wheat, soy, poultry by-product meal or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
Important Points to remember for CHF!
It is critical to go to a veterinarian regularly for dogs with congestive heart failure, which is a serious medical condition that requires frequent visits to manage.
The biggest mistake owners make with dogs in CHF is not making enough of a commitment to routine veterinary care. If left unchecked, CHF can lead to severe and life-threatening complications and death,
Regular visits are needed in order to manage the specific condition, as patients need to be prescribed the right medicine to go along with their food and to help them find the best-targeted choice of food for their condition.
As mentioned, it’s best to feed dogs with cardiovascular issues on low-sodium diets since their hearts cannot clear away extra amounts. Excess salt levels overload the heart and raise blood pressure, making their situation worse.
It’s also suggested that they eat a high-protein diet since it has been determined that inadequate protein intake (or shortages of specific amino acids) can cause significant heart disease and the ACVIM has advised against protein-restricted diets for dogs with old-age mitral valve disease.
Also, cardiac patients need to maintain normal body weight. Excessive weight, in the form of body fat, places additional stress on the heart and in more than one way.
Mind the salt!
Animals (including humans) with severe heart disease are unable to properly eliminate salt from the body. Sodium and water retention occur as a consequence of severe heart illness, causing changes in kidney function and the central nervous system.
Sodium restriction is an important component of the treatment for CHF, and it’s critical that pet owners follow this rule! Failure to do so can lead to fluid accumulation in the lungs, difficulty breathing (for humans, it’s like being underwater), or a trip to the emergency department.
While it isn’t the only consideration, a high sodium diet is significant part of developing a heart-friendly diet. The bottom line is that a dog or cat must be fed an appropriate quantity of protein, calories, vitamins, and other nutrients while avoiding excessive salt intake.
But It’s Not ONLY about the Salt!
Dogs and cats with heart disease require a proper distribution of calories from fat, carbohydrate, and protein to maintain a healthy weight. It has been proven that a lack of protein intake, or an amino acid deficiency, can lead to serious heart disease.
Older dogs and cats do not require as much protein as younger, developing animals do. Certain diets are deliberately created to be extremely limited in their protein content, especially those designed for certain sorts of bladder stones, kidney disease, or liver illness.
Mind the calories too!
Cardiac patients must maintain a healthy body weight. Body fat accumulation puts additional strain on the heart in numerous ways.
Best Dog Supplement - the Importance of Supplementation
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, which is abundantly found in fish oil, has the ability to act directly on cardiac cachexia and the apoptosis-related biochemical pathways; it can also improve appetite.
Taurine is a chemical that is necessary for cats’ and dogs’ healthy heart and eye function. Deficiency in either dogs or cats can result in serious heart disease if this nutrient is not provided in the diet. In the 1980s, pet food manufacturers began adding taurine to diets where required, recognizing this fact.
Vitamin B, which is soluble, may be lost in the urine after taking certain heart medications. As a result, consider eating a diet that includes this as well.
Potasium & Magnesium
Your veterinarian will need to test and measure the amounts of these two minerals in your pet’s blood. They will inform you on whether or not you should supplement them depending on the findings.
Reduced levels of magnesium increase the risk of side effects of heart medications and the weakening of heart muscles.
Treats and foods to avoid!
Many pet owners like to offer treats as special favors for their furry family members. It’s critical to know which foods are low in salt and which aren’t for a cardiac patient:
ACCEPTABLE TREATS AND FOODS (do not add salt!)
- Pasta
- Rice ( plain white or brown rice, not flavored)
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Low-sodium cheese ( Look for the Heart Healthy labeling )
- Lean, home-cooked meats (chicken, turkey, beef, fish)
- Eggs, cooked
- Homemade soup
- Low-salt breakfast cereal. The label should read “this is a low-sodium food”
- Fresh vegetables/fruit ( carrots, green beans, apple, orange, banana)
FOODS TO AVOID!
- Fatty foods ( meat trimmings, milk, cream, ice cream, and other milk products)
- Baby food
- Pickled foods
- Bread, pizza
- Condiments (ketchup, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, etc.)
- Sandwich and deli meats/cold cuts ( ham, corn beef, salami, sausages, bacon, hot dogs)
- Most cheeses including squirtable and spreadable types ( unless specifically labeled as “low sodium” )
- Processed foods ( such as potato mixes, rice mixes, macaroni and cheese)
- Canned vegetables ( unless labeled “no salt added”)
- Potato chips, packaged popcorn, crackers, and other snack foods
- Packaged soups ( unless labeled “low sodium”)
- Most commercially available dog and cat treats!
The bottom line...
I’m hoping that our list of what we consider to be the best dog foods for congestive heart failure will be useful. Food with optimal special nutrition can benefit your dog’s quality of life as well as extend her life.
Importantly, selecting the finest dog food for congestive heart failure will help your dog maintain a healthy immune system and improve its overall health.
Did you know that a dog’s gut health has a significant influence on its overall health? A recent scientific study reports that 70% to 80% of all illness begins in the gastrointestinal tract! discover why this supplement is essential for your dog’s immune system and overall health – read our blog on: The Best Probiotics for Dogs
References:
- https://www.petmd.com/dog/centers/nutrition/dog-food-label-lessons-what-is-an-aafco-statement
- https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/complete-and-balanced-pet-food
