Supplements for heart health

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

Hey everyone,
I haven't posted on here for a long time, hope you're all well and keeping safe!

So Roxy has had a heart problem her whole life, since she was a baby she's had a heart murmur and a couple of years ago she was referred to a heart specialist who found that she has a heart condition (forgot the name of it!).
He was actually surprised to see a dog of her age with it because apparently they don't usually live that long but he said to just have her heart scanned with him every few years to make sure her heart isn't enlarged (if it is she'd need an expensive operation). Other than that she doesn't need any meds for it and we can exercise her as much as she wants so no restrictions there.
Last week she had her booster and I forgot to say to the vet she has this condition and when she came out she said she has a "....." murmur (I completely forgot the type of murmur she said she had) sensing a theme here? I don't have the best memory . If anyone knows about murmurs and can tell me that would be great! Anyway I thought maybe there's something I could give her or add to her food just to support her heart health and was wondering if anyone knows of any supplements I can give her, I've read hawthorn is good for hearts? Anyone else have experience with heart murmurs?

Thanks in advance

 

[Finsky]

I know about hawthorn use for myself but not with animals...with me, I can say it did have its effects indeed and it might be the reason why after my heart attack just over a year ago I did get away any damage to my heart muscles! It might have delayed the bad outcome as well as I did live with 'funny' sensations and other issues with the on coming heart attack for looong time. Now I know what it was all was about
It is relatively safe herb to use though and easy to get access to, you only need a hawthorn hedge so you may be able to harvest it and dry some for all year round use. Usually the parts to gather is flowers and flower buds with few leaves to go with it. I added few flowerheads in the herby tea mix and drank it few cups per day. But it is all very unmeasured so there is no telling of the strength. I cannot recommend it to your dog as I do not know if it is really safe.
However...if you do go to that route...if I were in your shoes....I probably would try it by brewing a cup full of hawthorn tea from couple of flower heads (though that season has now passed but new growth tips with few leaves on can be used as well) and adding that tea into large bowl of drinking water. That way it would be very diluted and would enter into system in small dozes. I've never used commercial hawthorn supplements so I don't know their strenghts or effects..or lack of it.
Our first dog, a yorkie did have a heart murmur and the heart was also enlarged towards end of his years. He was put straight away into heart tablets and water tablets. It wasn't nice as the heart's condition caused water to collect into his lungs and body and the water tablets were to flush it all out..as the results he didn't have any control of his bladder.. He coped a year with this treatment and then the old age and his issues court up with him at 14 years old.

 

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

Oh wow, that's amazing that hawthorn had such a positive effect on you. I can't say that I'll go down the route of growing and picking it myself though, not much of a gardener! I will have a look though and see what is available for dogs.
Awww bless him, that's quite a good age for a dog with a heart condition though I'd say. I will be blessed to have Roxy for that long, I always worry that this will mean she doesn't have long left
At the moment she's on neem oil, golden paste, plaque off, yumove and now possibly this hawthorn if I can find any for dogs... she's on more supplements than me! Thanks for your help

 

[Hemlock]

I take hawthorn too, but have no knowledge of its use for dogs. You might consider speaking with a vet who also has herbalist qualifications.

Also I recommend a chat with Dorwest Herbs, who are the only UK company licensed to sell herbal remedies for veterinary use. They are very friendly and helpful, and I have used other products of theirs for many years.

 

[Finsky]

I got interested of your enquiry and I have been looking around net and found this ;Young at Heart for Dog Heart Support - petwellbeing.co.uk
And yes....there is hawthorn included in the concoction.

 

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

Oh yes I forgot about Dorwest thanks, and I will have a look at the young at heart thanks for the help

 

[jackaranian]

I got interested of your enquiry and I have been looking around net and found this ;Young at Heart for Dog Heart Support - petwellbeing.co.uk
And yes....there is hawthorn included in the concoction.

Hi I joined here yesterday, I hope this helps the OP in the quote. My boy was diagnosed with a leaky heart valve on Friday, I've been reading up on how I can help him and came across this supplement. Amazon delivered it last night. Look at the reviews! Also ordered Co emzyme Q10. He had his second dose of each this morning. I took advice from the FB group Vit C and Pets as he was already taking Vit C sodium ascorbate so he's on that twice a day too. And CBD oil twice and golden paste twice a day. And taurine through scrambled eggs. I'm working out the safest way to take all of these separately, I am leaving a 2 hour gap between all these supplements (to help absorption through the liver) and administering them with a few of the biscuits. He can be a fussy eater. I'm frightened, I admit it. Goes without saying I want to do the best for him.

 

[jackaranian]

Hi again, re heart murmurs and leaky valves and enlargement of the heart, I'm looking for information too, I mentioned just now that my boy was diagnosed wth a leaky heart valve on Friday. I am very worried, not helped by my absolute ignorance of such problems. Our new COVID shutdown in Wales doesn't help, it's even more isolating physically and emotionally.

 

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

Hi, thanks for that. Unfortunately this has been on the back burner for a while but I'm ordering other stuff for her so will order some sort of heart supplement soon! Im also in wales! At least it was only for two weeks though

 

[jackaranian]

Hi, thanks for that. Unfortunately this has been on the back burner for a while but I'm ordering other stuff for her so will order some sort of heart supplement soon! Im also in wales! At least it was only for two weeks though

Freedom eh? Of a sort. I went to Vale Referrals in Glos to have a cardiology referral last week and I'm glad I did, they gave me figures that I can understand better what's going on with Scrap. I just bought a book, Needles to Natural, by Dr Judy Morgan and skimmed the heart sections last night. I went to bed feel more positive about the way forward re food and supplements!