Love your dogs Heart. 

As we near Valentines day – I thought for this Food Fact Friday we could take a look at foods which can help keep our dogs hearts healthy and can be added to your dogs dinner to give them an extra boost of love!

If your dogs has a Heart condition please ensure you follow your vets instructions or a qualified Canine Nutritionist who will provide specific guidance based on your dogs diagnosis.

 So what can we add to our dogs diet help keep them tickers ticking- Here is our top 5 -  

• Offal Heart

Have you heard that it is beneficial to feed the organ that is experiencing any problems?? Let me explain – Eat Liver if there is Liver disease. Well the same is true of Hearts. You can buy Pig, lambs, Beef and chicken hearts from many raw pet foods and also Supermarkets. Offal Heart can be fed lightly cooked or raw. Not only is it an excellent source of Protein but also provides Iron, Vitamin B and Selenium. Selenium is a mineral and low selenium levels have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and the clogging of arteries.

• Fatty oily Fish

Fish like Salmon, Sardines, and Mackerel again are linked to reducing inflammation. Think of those people who take Cod Liver Oil capsules to help there joints – its no different in its science (DO NOT feed any intended for humans to your dog as they will contain other vitamins in incorrect amounts for dogs)

Oily fish provide Omega 3 Fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation damages blood vessels and may restrict the arteries causing increased blood pressure. Without getting to geeky – Triglyceride is a fat that builds along the walls of the arteries and hardens restricting blood flow to the heart. Omega 3 fatty acids such as Fish oils help keep the arteries clear and healthy.

Fish oil supplements for dogs can be added to their foods but why not just feed them the actually fish for all the extra benefits and my dogs love it!  Tinned Sardines or Mackerel are cheap and readily available. Try to buy the ones on Spring Water but I’ve found them increasingly difficult to get my find (Honestly you can get them in Thai sauce & Curry sauce but not water?!) so if you can’t get them go for ones in Olive oil but rinse them. Avoid the ones in Brine as they are too salty – Ones in PURE tomato sauce are also good – both for reasons I will go into shortly.

Salmon is also a good and easily accessible oily fish but should be frozen prior to feeding to ensure any parasites are killed before feeding. Tuna is not recommended as the bigger the fish the more they will contain poisons and plastics. (A subject that can be a whole blog by itself and is called Biomagnification. )

•  Tomatoes

Tomatoes have a lot of fibre, which helps support your dog’s digestion. They also have antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals like potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin K, as well as folate which helps with tissue growth and cell function.

They also contain Lycopene - a natural pigment that gives  some vegetables and fruits their red colour. There are several published studies that suggest lycopene has a role in preventing the hardening of the arteries and cardiovascular disease. It is an antioxidant and studies are currently looking into beneficial links in the treatment of cancers in dogs.

Tomatoes are good when fed occasionally but too much could upset a dogs stomach – and best avoided if your dog has a sensitive stomach . It is also important that the tomatoes are ripe and not green.

Skye and Kenzo will get Pilchards in Tomato sauce every now and then – they wolf them down but always check there is no added salt or preservatives.  For this reason its not safe to give your dog Ketchup or pizza sauce!!

•  Red Berries

Red Berries such as Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries and Blackberries are further sources of  antioxidants that we already know are great for keeping the heart healthy. They support cells within the body from free radical damage and boost the immune system -  helping prevent or tackle illnesses.

Blueberries & Blackberries contain high levels anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant found in purple, blue and red foods. They also contain fibre – Great for healthy digestions, as well as Vitamins A, B, C, E and K.  

Berries are a low calorie and tasty way to add loads of health benefits to your dogs diet. Strawberries are full of fiber and vitamin C. They can help prevent heart disease and counteract the effects of free radicals. They can also help keep blood pressure stable.

They also have an enzyme which can help whiten your dog's teeth. But they should be eaten in moderation as they contain lots of sugar. 

• Leafy dark green vegetables

More natural antioxidants – you getting the idea!! Leafy green veggies -  such as Kale, spinach, Cavolo nero, Cabbage – are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, iron and potassium. They are also a fab source of fiber. Much like humans, dogs get the most nutrients when the veggies are uncooked but they should be lightly steamed or blitzed before feeding them to ensure they are digested.

Kale for instance is one of the most nutrient packed foods you could give your dogs. (Will be subject to a blog post all of its own its that good!!) But lets pick Potassium  for this blog – It is great for a healthy  heart as it aids in the functioning of electrical charges in the heart, nerves, and muscles. 

  LOVE your dogs heart

So there you go… Obviously we all know a healthy lifestyle with a good diet, regular exercise and rest leads to a healthy heart. Hopefully you will think about adding some of these foods to your dogs (and maybe your own) diets! Why not take a look at our Super Green Veg shot for a convenient way to add an extra boost of leafy green veg ?

But you know what our dogs need most…. Love!