You have had your family dog for as long as there has been a family. He isn’t just a pet to you, but he is your best friend. He has been there for you every step of your life, and now he is getting old. When dogs get old they can experience the same age related problems that people can. Some pet owners know that dogs can get arthritis, lose their eye sight, lose their hearing, and develop skin problems.
But what some dog owners don’t know, it that their precious family jewel can also get heart disease. Heart disease can include that of many negative conditions of the heart; heart murmur, heart enlargement, dilated cardiomyopathy, or heart failure.
What to Know About Dog Health Issues Concerning The Heart
It truly does not matter if you have a Poodle, a Dalmatian, a Golden Retriever, or just a mutt your dog can be a victim of heart disease.
Heart disease in dogs is usually caused by a deficiency in l-carnitine (a protein-like substance that enables cells to carry fatty acids (fuel) to the heart) and taurine (natural amino acid that maintains cells, regulates the heartbeat, and protects the heart from excess calcium), nutrients essential to a healthy heart. It is hard to discover which, if not both, of these nutrients is deficient in your dog without performing a biopsy on his/her heart. This is a risky and sometimes fatal procedure to perform on living dogs.
What to do to Maintain Dog Health in Your Dog
If you are serious about dog health, here is some sound dog health advice to help keep you dog’s heart healthy at the get-go.
Try L-Carnitine and Taurine Supplementation. Supplementing the usually deficient nutrients can greatly reduce your dog’s risk of getting heart disease. Not only will you reduce the risk of heart disease you will also improve your dog’s heart function, help regulate his heartbeat, improves his exercise tolerance (so he can keep up with you), creates lean body mass, has no side effects, and is safe to give him with his other medications.
There are supplements on the market that are formulated for dogs and contains l-carnitine, and taurine. You need to be on the look out for the right supplement for your dog. Some supplements are offered in pill form, but in order for your dog to get the right amount of nutrients he needs in a day, you will have to give him 20 pills. Can you imagine trying to get your dog to swallow 20 pills? There are some supplements that come in powder form; these are much easier to give to your dog because you can just mix it in with his water or his wet food.
It is obvious that you love your dog and you are then concerned about dog health issues. Dog health is a priority in your life because you love him and he is important to you. You want him to be around as long as possible, so you want to take care of his heart. Get informed advice about your dog and heart disease. Just make sure that you do not wait till he has been diagnosed to do something about it.
