In addition to congenital or hereditary factors, there are two common types of heart failure that can affect dogs. The first, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is relatively rare. It causes the walls of the heart to thicken, thus decreasing pumping efficiency. The second type is dilated cardiomyopathy, where the heart chambers enlarge, and the walls of the blood vessels stretch and become thin. Dilated cardiomyopathy causes congestive heart failure (CHF). Heart failure is serious and often fatal, but there are vitamins that can help manage the condition.
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B Vitamins
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B vitamins are essential for a dog's heart health. A deficiency in any of the B vitamins can cause heart failure, along with diarrhea, poor growth, lack of appetite and anemia. Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, is particularly important for preventing and countering canine heart failure. It is best to supplement all B vitamins in one formula to avoid masking a deficiency of one by overcompensating with another. Food sources of B vitamins include meat, fish, avocado and walnuts.
Vitamin E
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Vitamin E is an antioxidant that supports heart health and is essential to proper heart function. Vitamin E slows the progression of heart failure and boosts the dog's energy levels. It is available in safflower oil, wheat germ, meats and green vegetables. You can also supplement with a capsule. A typical dosage is 200 miU daily of d-alpha vitamin E. Vitamin E is also available as dl-alpha, which is synthetic and requires twice as much to be as effective as natural vitamin E. Vitamin E should be used with care if your dog is on a medication to reduce blood clotting time.
Magnesium
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Magnesium works like a natural calcium-channel blocker. Calcium-channel blockers are a class of prescription drugs often prescribed for human and animal patients suffering from CHF. Magnesium is easily obtained from green, leafy vegetables, broccoli, halibut and blackstrap molasses, or from a supplement available through your vet.
Potassium
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Potassium is an electrolyte that is crucial to the proper function of muscles, including the heart. Potassium and sodium must be carefully balanced to avoid a surplus of one at the expense of the other. Potassium should be supplemented only under the supervision of your veterinarian.
Selenium
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Selenium is a mild antioxidant that works especially well if used in conjunction with vitamin E. Selenium deficiency can cause heart failure and an increased risk of cancer. A typical dosage of selenium is about 50 micrograms daily for a 50-pound dog. As with other vitamins, your vet should be consulted to ensure you are supplementing the correct amount of selenium in balance with other essential vitamins and nutrients.
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