Heart Disease in Dogs: Diet, Nutrition, and Tips

Written by Kelly Gredner, RVT, VTS (Nutrition)

The best diet for a dog with heart disease is one that delivers the right balance of protein, fat, sodium, and omega-3 fatty acids to support heart function, maintain muscle, and sustain a healthy body weight. Dogs diagnosed with heart conditions like mitral valve disease or dilated cardiomyopathy have specific nutritional needs that differ from healthy adult dogs, and getting those needs right is one of the most impactful things a pet parent can do.

Heart disease affects 11% of dogs, and in most cases, it is a progressive condition that requires a long-term management approach. Nutrition is not a cure, but it is one of the most reliable tools available to slow disease progression, protect lean muscle mass, and keep a dog eating well through every stage.

In this article, we cover what heart disease in dogs looks like, why nutrition plays such a central role in managing it, and the specific dietary factors, including fat, sodium, protein, and omega-3s, that matter most for dogs with cardiac conditions.

What is Heart Disease in Dogs

Heart disease is one of the most common health conditions seen in dogs and affects 11% of dogs.

95% of these cases occur in adult dogs as they age.²

As our dogs continue to live longer, they are more likely to develop health problems. You may notice changes like lower energy, slower metabolism, and reduced cognitive function, even their senses change, like reduced eyesight, smell, and taste. Some changes can be treated, others monitored and managed as they eventually worsen.

Some breeds are prone to various age-related changes. For example:

• Large and giant breeds often develop osteoarthritis  

• Small breeds are more likely to have dental disease. 

One common condition that can affect any dog, at any age, is heart disease.

Common types of heart diseases dogs can develop include:

• Mitral valve disease (a leaky heart valve)

• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (a weakened heart muscle)

The end result of such disease processes can be congestive heart failure (CHF), and with this, quality of life reduces further, forcing beloved pet parents to make some tough choices.

Signs of Heart Disease in Dogs

Heart disease in dogs produces recognizable physical and behavioral signs that appear as the heart struggles to pump blood efficiently. Coughing, fatigue, and exercise intolerance are among the earliest and most common indicators that a dog's cardiovascular system is under stress.

Catching these signs early gives veterinarians more options for management and gives your pup more time.

Common signs of heart disease in dogs are:

• Coughing

• Reduced energy or fatigue

• Exercise intolerance (tiring easily)

• Reduced appetite

• Increased breathing rate

• Weight loss

• Behavioral changes

If you are noticing any of these signs or any other abnormalities in your dog, please call your veterinarian and set up an appointment.

Treatment Options for Heart Disease in Dogs

Treatments available for heart disease usually require a combination of approaches or therapies based upon the disease type itself, along with the symptoms that coincide with it. Most treatments for heart disease will include:

• Prescription medications

• Weight loss might be recommended if the pet is obese, to reduce the strain on the heart and lungs

• Continuous monitoring of symptoms

All treatments are meant to improve the quality of life of the dog, making them as comfortable as possible while the condition unfortunately progresses.

Another important aspect of the treatment of any disease state is nutrition.

Why Nutrition Matters for Dogs with Heart Disease

It's important for any pet with a chronic illness to eat well and to maintain a healthy body weight. This can be challenging with a waxing and waning appetite, digestive upset from medications, reduced sense of smell or taste from advanced age, etc.

The goal is to provide²:

• An optimal amount of calories

• Avoid deficiencies or excesses (with diet and treat options)

• Improve their quality of life

• Slow the progression of the disease

Cardiac Cachexia: What Is It and Why Does It Matter

In chronic illnesses like heart disease, a disorder called cardiac cachexia can occur. This condition can cause²:

• Weight loss

• Muscle loss

• Reduced immunity

• A poor prognosis

It weakens the body and is caused by multiple factors like reduced caloric intake, increased bodily inflammation and increased caloric requirement.²

Using food as therapy can help slow progression or, ideally, prevent this altogether.

Best Diet for Dogs with Heart Disease

The four most important nutritional factors for dogs managing heart disease are fat, sodium, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. Each plays a distinct role in supporting cardiac function, maintaining muscle, and keeping a dog eating well.

Fat: Energy and Taste

Fat is palatable (tasty!) and an energy-dense nutrient that can be added to your dog's food to reduce the amount of food needed to meet the high amount of calories required.

If the dog can tolerate a higher fat diet, then try to avoid the reduced fat options and reach for the higher calorie ones.

Fat has twice the amount of calories as protein and carbohydrates.

If a dog does require a lower-fat diet based on veterinary recommendations, increasing their feeding portions or feeding in smaller, more frequent meals will help them hit their daily caloric markers.

Our low-fat options are: Beef & Broccoli, Coconut Chicken, Fisherman's Best Friend Supper

Sodium: Keep It Low (But Not Too Low)

It's a tasty mineral, but usually recommended in lower amounts once a dog is diagnosed with heart disease.

Pending the stage of disease, recommendations between 0.08–0.25% on a dry matter basis can be helpful.¹

This can potentially help with:

• High blood pressure

• Pets with severe congestive heart failure

• Concurrent medical conditions like kidney disease

However, this might affect the palatability of a diet, but for aromatic, gently-cooked recipes like Tom&Sawyer, meal acceptance is rarely an issue!

In our original Tom&Sawyer line, all except for Kangaroo are reduced-sodium and meet these requirements: Turkey Gobbler Feast, Italian Beef Pasta Dinner, Goji Berry Beef*, Fisherman's Best Friend Supper, Coconut Chicken*, Classic Pork Stew, and Beef & Broccoli*.

Note: Be mindful of all treats given, as they can be hidden sources of high fat or sodium! For example: deli meats, cheese, or peanut butter.

Protein: Maintain Muscle

Most dogs with heart disease need moderate to high protein, unless your veterinarian recommends otherwise. Look for meals that contain a moderate to high level of protein to:

• Help reduce muscle loss

• Support strength

• Improve satiety

• Adds to the palatability of the diet

Sometimes there are multiple conditions happening at the same time, making nutritional choices challenging (and sometimes hard to find). But, eating well to maintain a healthy body weight is still the ultimate goal; eating well on an appropriate diet is even better!

Our lowest protein option for the pups that need it is the Fisherman's Best Friend Supper.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Anti-Inflammatory Support

A diet enriched with omega-3 fatty acids can²:

• Reduce inflammation

• Minimize muscle loss

• Improve appetite

With fats being calorically rich, this can help increase the energy density of the diet, which not only helps with palatability but can help reduce the volume of food needed daily to hit their caloric needs.

Some diet options for omega-3 fatty acids are Fisherman's Best Friend Supper and Coconut Chicken*.

Feeding Tips for Dogs with Heart Disease

Helping a pet through progressive, chronic illness is stressful, and management becomes a part of the daily routine. But small changes in feeding can help!

Make Food More Appealing

• Warming up the meals to enhance the aroma and taste

• Add variety with safe, appropriate options when possible

Use Meal Rotation

You can also start feeding on a rotational basis, offering a few different options.

This means having 3–4 meals available to help once they "tire" of one. If your dog gets bored with one, switch to another and rotate back to keep interest high!

Feed Smaller, Frequent Meals

By offering small, frequent meals, you can help your pup to:

• Meet calorie needs

• Maintain digestive health

• Improve appetite

Monitor Weight Closely

• Weigh your dog regularly

• Track changes in weight over time

• Pending the size of your pup, consider purchasing a baby scale to monitor and trend their weight

This way, you can catch weight loss sooner and get them the help they need.

Final Thoughts on Feeding a Dog with Heart Disease

Caring for a dog with heart disease can feel overwhelming. But nutrition is one of the most powerful tools you have to support their health.

By focusing on:

• The right nutrients

• Managing their weight

• Keeping meals appealing

You can help your dog stay comfortable and enjoy a better quality of life!

If you're unsure what to feed, talk to your veterinarian. Together, you can build a nutrition plan tailored to your dog's needs.

How Tom&Sawyer® Supports Dogs with Heart Disease

At Tom&Sawyer®, supporting dogs through chronic health conditions is something we take seriously. Our gently-cooked meals are made with human grade whole food ingredients in a federally inspected human grade facility, formulated to meet AAFCO standards, with zero preservatives and minimal additional supplementation.

For dogs managing heart disease, several recipes in our lineup are specifically suited to the nutritional targets outlined in this post: reduced sodium, quality animal protein, healthy fat levels, and omega-3-rich options for anti-inflammatory support.

Our Nutrition Tech, Kelly Gredner, RVT, VTS (Nutrition), and our lead nutritionist, Dr. Hannah Godfrey, PhD, Animal Nutrition, are available to help guide Sawyer's Pack through nutritional decisions for dogs with complex health needs. Reach out to our nutrition team at nutrition@tomandsawyer.com.

Because every dog, especially those fighting hard, deserves to live a happier, healthier, longer life™.

 

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* currently available in Canada only

References:

1. Hand M.S. et al. (eds) (2010). Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th ed. Mark Morris Institute

2. Fascetti, A. J., & Delaney, S. J. (Eds.). (2012). Applied Veterinary Clinical Nutrition. Wiley-Blackwell.