The Best Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure

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Congestive heart failure (CHF) refers to the inability of the heart to supply or pump blood to the rest of the body. It becomes fatal when the blood abnormally stays in the lungs, causing an obstruction to your dog's breathing. 

Dogs with this disease are also considered as dogs with cardiovascular system problems. As you can see, it can be an alarming state. That is why most veterinarians recommend maintaining the healthy lifestyle of pets through sufficient diet plans and regular exercise. 

The meals that you feed your pets, together with veterinary treatments, should help them to reduce the blockage in their breathing.

Thus, as responsible pet parents, you should look for the best dog food for congestive heart failure. And this includes choosing the right diet and ingredients to improve your dog's health and to ensure long years of their lives.

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Top 5 Best Dog Food For Congestive Heart Failure Reviews for 2020

Editor's Picks

Product​​​​ Name

Price

Best Choices

Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Dry Dog Food

Best Wet Meal For Optimal Nutrition

Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Wet Dog Food

Best Dog Formula for Cardiovascular Health

Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food

Most Economical Weight Management Diet

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog Food

Best Cardiac Recipe for Senior Dogs

Hill's Science Dog Food

Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Dry Dog Food - Premium Choice Food for Congestive Heart Failure

Taste of the Wild Dog Food is carefully formulated with unique and premium ingredients to provide complete nutrition and satisfy your pet's cravings.

This grain-free recipe boosts an impressive protein content from pure salmon to make your canines stronger and allow them to recover from any illnesses. It's carbohydrates sources are mainly from sweet potatoes and legumes, which are more digestible and fiber-enriched.

It comes with less sodium content, making it an ideal choice for dogs with CHF and other heart diseases. Also, this diet is enriched with tummy-friendly probiotics and prebiotics for better digestion and proper body weight loss.

The omega-3 from salmon oil and ocean fish meal is coupled with omega-6 from other ingredients to ensure a well-balanced fatty acid profile. Thus, promoting a healthy heart, clear skin, and luscious coat to your furry friends.

To top it all, Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Dog Food has no grain, artificial preservatives, and fillers that can harm your dogs. Instead, it is fortified with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to promote heart health and overall wellness.

Pros
  • Enriched with fatty acids
  • Easy to digest
  • Grain-free and preservative-free
  • Good-tasting recipe
Cons
  • Strong and fishy smell

Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Wet Dog Food - Best Wet Meal For Optimal Nutrition

Purina Pro Plan Focus Dog Food is optimally crafted with nutrients to achieve a balance on your pet's body functions while keeping them in good and perfect shape.

It offers a combination of premium ingredients to ensure enough energy and promote overall health. This is supported explicitly with its low protein, sodium, and phosphorus content, which improve the heart, support a sensitive stomach, and help dogs feel better. 

Also, the recipe comes with all the essential nutrients required in maintaining muscle mass, especially during the recovery period of your canine. The combination of rice and salmon will bring a great taste that your pets will love most.

Its prebiotic fiber and antioxidants components provide the easy-digestible features that are needed by your pets to improve digestion, regulate the immune system, and support a healthy heart.

Lastly, Purina Pro Plan Focus Dog Food is a delicious and high-quality meal that will keep your pets satiated while ensuring their wellness due to its lack of artificial additives, preservatives, and fillers.

Pros
  • High-quality and premium ingredients
  • Low protein and sodium content
  • Fortified with prebiotics and antioxidants
  • Easy to digest
Cons
  • Can be a bit pricey

Wellness Complete Health Natural Dry Dog Food - Best Dog Formula for Cardiovascular Health

Wellness Dog Food is formulated to accommodate your canine's health problems and help them recover with ease and comfort.

This recipe offers sodium restriction, thus ensuring perfect heart health and high-quality weight loss management meal.

Also, it uses all-natural ingredients combined with high-quality proteins from delicious deboned chickens and peas to satisfy hunger and maintain healthy body weight.

To fuel your pet's body with energy, this recipe comes with a healthy dose of fruits and vegetables such as chicory root and yucca schidigera. These components protect the body against worms and help maintain the proper digestive functions. 

Additionally, it is supplemented with taurine, which helps stimulate a healthy heart, fatty acids for luscious skin and coat, and chondroitin sulfate for strong joints and bones.

To ensure the best results, the formula of Wellness Complete Health Dog Food does not contain any meat by-products, wheat, corn, and soy. It also contains no artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives to ensure your dog's optimal nutrition.

Pros
  • Offers complete and balanced nutrition
  • Comes with taurine and other supplements
  • Supports the immune system
  • No artificial flavorings
Cons
  • A bit pricey

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Dry Dog Food - Most Economical Weight Management Diet

Natural Balance L.I.D. Dog Food is formulated using a few natural ingredients to ensure only the finest nutrition and optimum wellness for your dogs. 

As a limited ingredient diet, this recipe uses a single animal protein source from salmon fish to reduce sensitivities and allergies. Aside from a highly digestible energy source, it also gives a good source of omega fatty acids and potassium, which is helpful for pets with heart disease.

Moreover, the single carbohydrate component, sweet potato, provides the much-needed energy for your pet's daily activities. The key ingredients, together with brown rice and green peas, promotes good digestion and proper absorption, especially in senior dogs.

Each kibble is adequately sized for better eating and swallowing. Due to its structure, a dramatic reduction in improper chewing and fast eating is observed in dogs.

Overall, Natural Balance L.I.D. Dog Food offers excellent quality meals due to its limited ingredients. Plus, it has no artificial flavors and colors, and is also grain-free, making it a good option for dogs with sensitive skin.

Pros
  • High-protein content
  • Limited ingredients
  • Aids in proper digestion
  • Comes with natural fibers
Cons
  • May have an odor that can be off to some dogs

Hill's Science Dog Food - Best Cardiac Recipe for Senior Dogs

Hill's Science Diet Dog Food is scientifically formulated to cater to the unique needs of senior large dog breeds, who are more prone to infections and diseases. 

As a synergistic blend, this recipe comes with easily digestible ingredients to support the high energy levels of large dogs. Its top ingredients, chicken, barley, and rice, also promotes cardiovascular health and other nutritional needs.

This meal is also low in sodium and chlorine, thus helps in reducing the fluids in your pets. It is supplemented with taurine and L-carnitine to ensure the proper functioning of the different systems. Moreover, the natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin support your pet's joint health.

The balanced set of minerals present in this recipe nourishes your pet's skin while promoting a healthy heart and kidney—also, the presence of omega-6 fatty acids and Vitamin E aids in giving luscious coats.

Overall, Hill's Science Diet Dog Food will keep your pets healthy due to its high-quality ingredients and unique formulation. This will not only give energy to your senior dogs but also ensure a longer life.

Pros
  • A synergistic blend of nutrients
  • Supplemented with balanced minerals
  • Easily digestible ingredients
  • Rich in omega fatty acids
Cons
  • For large, senior dogs

Food Recipes for Congestive Heart Failure: Buying Guides

Congestive heart failure (CHF) affects your dog's bodily functions. However, this disease may not only influence your canine's health but also disrupt your pet-parent relationship.

Thus, it is best to give them the most appropriate nutrition as an initial step towards recovery.

1. Choosing Dog Food Recipes for CHF

good dog food for congestive heart failure
  • Sodium Content
    Meals with low sodium content are ideal for pets suffering from heart disease. This can reduce the effect on their blood, resulting in lesser blockages and heart disease.
    Mild heart disease should apply mild sodium restriction in their diet, while those dealing with CHF should eliminate sodium on their prescription diet.
  • Amino Acids
    The omega fatty acids in fish oil have shown great results with dogs dealing with heart disease. It strengthens the heart to ensure easy and steady recovery, stops muscle loss, and increases the appetite of your pets.
  • Vitamins and Antioxidants
    Vitamin B fights aging problems while restoring proper body functions. Meanwhile, antioxidants get rid of the free radicals that can cause faster aging.
  • Taurine / L-Carnitine
    Taurine and L-carnitine are components that play a significant role in your dog's nutrition. The presence of taurine prevents specific cardiovascular disease, while L-carnitine can protect and keep your dog's heart healthy. 
  • Magnesium / Potassium
    Magnesium and potassium are crucial minerals for dogs suffering from heart disease. Their deficiency can cause an increase in the potential side-effects of heart disease treatments.

2. Benefits of the Best Dog Food for Heart Disease

best wet dog food for congestive heart failure

There are numerous benefits of choosing the best food for heart failure, such as the following:

  • Stronger Heart
    A boost in your dog's heart health can be observed due to the effects of fatty acids and antioxidants in their diet.
  • Longer Life
    The lack of fillers and grain may give a boost not only to the dog's heart health but also to their overall wellness.
  • Happier Pet
    This may encourage them to perform more activities without hesitation and worries about health disease.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do You Feed a Dog With Congestive Heart Failure?

best dry dog food for congestive heart failure

Dogs suffering from CHF and other heart diseases require specialized nutrition. While a lot of manufacturers based their formulations on specific health diseases, it is essential to consult your veterinarians before deciding on the recipes to support your pet's nutritional needs.

Most canines with cardiovascular diseases may experience nutrient absorption problems, leading to weight loss.

Focus on giving delicious meals with high-quality ingredients to ensure enjoyment while consuming enough nutrients required by their body.


Do Dogs With Congestive Heart Failure Suffer?

best canned dog food for congestive heart failure

During the early stage, your dog may not exhibit any symptoms. However, as the heart disease progresses, your dog's condition may get worse, leading to signs such as: 

  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Excessive tiredness
  • Lack of appetite
  • Reduced ability

Dogs will commonly exhibit one to two symptoms, while the other signs may only appear as the disease progresses. While it's not possible to completely reverse CHF, your veterinarian will likely recommend ways to slow the progression of the disease.

Final Thoughts

Congestive heart failure is a severe disease that can affect your dog's overall performance. The sooner you get familiar with its symptoms, the faster you'll be able to handle the situation through medical treatments and prescription diet.

To wrap it up, Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Dry Dog Food is our top pick for the best dog food for congestive heart failure due to the nature of its ingredients and formulation.

This easy-to-digest and no-grain recipe is rich in fatty acids from wholesome natural sources, which ensure only the optimum nutrition for your furry buddies.

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