How to Keep Your Pet’s Heart Healthy

Our pets can’t tell us something is wrong. Therefore, we have to be extra observant. At times, your pet can be suffering internally, and problems can often go overlooked. Fortunately, you can implement simple routine methods to maintain your pet’s heart health and overall well-being.

Like humans, animals can experience different types of heart diseases. Some age-related or genetic heart issues cannot be prevented but can be caught early enough to be maintained, allowing your pet to live comfortably. With easily applied wellness methods, you can avoid other heart diseases from occurring.

North Jackson Animal Clinic in Stevenson, AL is here to provide you with some tips to prolong your pet’s life and keep them living happy and healthy.

Proper Dental Care

Dental care is a massive part of an animal’s health maintenance. Not taking adequate care of your pet’s dental health can lead to heart and liver problems. The same cultured bacteria from the infected heart valves are the same as those also found in the mouth. Excess growth of this bacteria in the mouth can eventually trickle down and accumulate in the heart, causing problems like heart disease or infection.

Luckily, administering the proper dental care for a pet is relatively simple. Some steps you can take to ensure your pet’s heart maintains optimum health through dental care include:

• Brushing your pet’s teeth daily or weekly
• Checking for foul-smelling breath
• Checking for red or swollen gums
• Any loose or missing teeth

Some signs that your pet may be experiencing oral health issues can easily be overlooked, such as bad breath or a lost tooth. By staying on top of your pet’s oral hygiene regimen and regularly checking for these signs, you can help your pet live a longer and healthier life.

Nutritious Diet

Like humans, a pet’s dietary plan changes over the years because different nutrition is necessary for different ages. Pets must maintain a healthy weight to provide optimal protection to their heart and avoid any heart problems. It is crucial to discuss with your veterinarian what specific needs your pet may require in their diet because dogs’ and cats’ dietary needs differ significantly, especially as they age.

Make sure you are not overfeeding your pet and reading the labels on your food to match the serving size according to your pet’s weight. It is also important to monitor proper hydration levels in your pet. There are many vitamins and foods that contain the nutrition necessary for maintaining your pet’s health.

For small or medium-sized dogs, consider food containing:

• Vitamin A – for a healthy immune system
• Vitamin C – for proper heart function and strength
• Vitamin E – prevents damage in cells and heart disease
• Fiber
• Healthy grains

For adult cats, consider food containing:

• Vitamin A – for a healthy immune system
• Easily digestible protein
• Taurine – for eye health and heart muscle
• Essential fatty acids

These supplements are essential to consider when finding the right diet for your pet. There are also other activities you can implement to maintain your pet’s heart health.

Exercise

One thing that may be the easiest to implement is routine exercise for your pet’s health. Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining a healthy heart and overall wellness for humans and pets. To avoid your pet becoming overweight, you must make sure they are exercising regularly.

Overweight animals can suffer from more than just heart problems. They can develop cancer, bone disease, or lung disease and significantly decrease their life expectancy.

Dogs should receive at least 30 minutes of brisk activity daily, and cats should spend at least 15 minutes.

To prevent these health problems from occurring in your furry family member, please consider some of these easy methods:

• Interactive toys and playing fetch
• Daily walks
• Training
• Daycare activity (if you are unable to)

Remember to consult your veterinarian on what physical activities they believe will benefit your pet the best.

Wellness Exams

A routine wellness exam is the most important thing you can do for your pet’s heart health. Each pet is valuable to each family and should be cared for the same. Pets especially need regular checkups because they can’t voice their health concerns to us.

A yearly wellness exam can prolong your pet’s life by detecting symptoms before they arise and obtaining expert health advice. Oftentimes, your vet can provide you with heartworm medications for your dog or cat to avoid severe lung disease, heart failure, or other organ damage.

If you have any concerns about the possibility of heart disease in your pet, check for the following symptoms:

• Loss of appetite
• Breathing difficulty
• Fast or very slow heartbeat
• Coughing
• Abnormal weight loss
• Weakness

Make sure to discuss with your veterinarian if you notice any of these symptoms in your pet.

Promote Your Pet’s Heart Health

When it comes to promoting heart health in pets, staying informed and proactive is the first step pet owners should take. By following these tips and taking these other steps, you can keep your pet’s heart healthy for years to come and help them live a long and happy life.

Stay on top of your pet’s overall health and spot any issues before they arise with a wellness exam at our facility. Call us at 256-437-8483 or contact us to schedule an appointment!