Dealing with heart disease in your dog can be frightening and intimidating. There are special dietary needs, as well as medications and vet visits. To help guide you in choosing a great food for your dog with heart disease, we’ve put together reviews of the best dog foods to support dogs with heart disease.

Keep in mind that it is always a good idea to talk to your vet about your dog’s dietary needs, especially if your dog has a disease as serious as heart disease. An unbalanced or inappropriate diet for a dog with heart disease can do far more harm than good, so make sure to check with your vet before making any changes.

Important note: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.

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The 9 Best Dog Foods for Heart Diseases

1. Royal Canin Vet Diet Early Cardiac Dry Food – Best Overall

The best overall dog food for heart disease is the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Early Cardiac Dry Food. Since it’s a veterinary diet, a prescription from your vet is required for purchase. This food is highly palatable and nutritionally complete, and it contains nutrients specifically for supporting the cardiovascular system. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, arginine, carnitine, and taurine all help support the heart, while a moderate sodium content helps the heart function efficiently without becoming overloaded. It is preserved with mixed tocopherols, which help support your dog’s immune system, and this food helps maintain a healthy body weight. This food retails for a premium price, which some pet owners might not be able to afford for daily meals.

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2. Spot & Tango Dog Kibble – Best Value

The best dog food for heart disease for the money is the foods available through Spot & Tango Dog Kibble. These foods are available in freeze-dried and wet food formulas. They are available only through a subscription plan, although you can cancel anytime. Some of the recipes are grain-free, while others are not, allowing you and your vet to select the recipes that will fit your dog’s needs the best. These foods all contain visually recognizable ingredients and are supplemented with added nutrients to meet all of your dog’s needs, even with heart disease. There are multiple protein bases available as well, allowing you to meet the needs of dogs with food sensitivities.

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3. Hill’s Prescription Heart Care Chicken Flavor

The Hill’s Prescription Diet h/d Heart Care Chicken Flavor food is the premium choice for dog food for heart disease. It’s a prescription-only food that is formulated specifically with the needs of dogs with heart disease in mind. It’s designed to help support a normal blood pressure level and minimize fluid retention when the heart is not functioning at peak capacity. It’s supplemented with nutrients to help dogs on diuretics recoup lost nutrients. It contains antioxidants that support the immune system and protect kidney function. It’s low in sodium and contains l-carnitine, taurine, and phosphorus to support heart health. This food retails for a premium price and is only available in one bag size.

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4. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Chicken & Rice Dry Dog Food

We all want our puppies to have a strong start to life after weaning. While we can never prevent all health issues—as some are out of our control—we can help ensure that we feed our puppies a healthy diet. This is why we recommend Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food for heart-healthy meals. Dog food designed for puppies provides nutrients and ingredients needed for brain development and heart health, such as DHA from fish oil, antioxidants, and vitamins C and E. The first two ingredients in this recipe are chicken and brown rice, both healthy foods that can help your puppy thrive. However, not all puppies have the same palate, and some pet owners have noted that their pups were not too enthused with the flavor.

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5. Purina One +Plus Joint Health

The Purina One +Plus Joint Health food contains fish oil and is a great source of omega fatty acids, which support heart health. It supports muscle health, which is important for the heart, and calcium, which can also help support cardiac function. It contains antioxidants to support the immune system as well. It’s highly palatable and contains a combination of crunchy kibble and meaty morsels. It’s more budget-friendly than many of the other dog foods that support cardiac health, and it’s appropriate for adult and senior dogs. This food is not recommended for small breed dogs, though. It’s also highly digestible and contains no fillers.

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6. ACANA Wholesome Grains Small Breed Recipe

The ACANA Wholesome Grains Small Breed Recipe food is a great moderate fat and protein food for small breed dogs with heart disease. It’s high in fiber thanks to the grains, but it’s free of gluten. The grains in this food support optimum gut health, and it’s free of potatoes and legumes, which have shown a potential link to worsening heart disease. It’s a good source of omega fatty acids, which support cardiac health, as well as skin, coat, muscle, joint, eye, and brain health. It’s a budget-friendly food pick and the bag sizes are optimized for small dogs. This food is not suitable for dogs of medium breeds or larger.

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7. SquarePet VFS Active Joints Dry Food

The SquarePet VFS Active Joints Dry Food is a high-protein food with moderate fat content. It contains New Zealand green-lipped mussels, sunflower oil, krill meal, and herring oil, all of which help support cardiac health through their omega fatty acid content. It’s a good source of antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin E, and turmeric, all of which support immune health and help decrease inflammation. It also contains glucosamine and chondroitin for extra support of your dog’s joints. It’s free of chicken, making it a good option for dogs with chicken sensitivities. This is one of the most premium-priced products we reviewed, so it can get quite expensive.

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8. Dave’s Pet Food Restricted Sodium Chicken Recipe Canned Food

The Dave’s Pet Food Restricted Sodium Chicken Recipe Canned Food is a good option for dogs with heart disease due to its low sodium and high protein contents. It’s packed with essential vitamins and minerals, as well as lean protein to support your dog’s overall health. Since it’s a canned food, it can help support hydration without overloading your dog on water intake. It’s free of fillers and byproducts. This food is grain-free, so it’s important to discuss the pros and cons of a grain-free diet for your dog with heart disease with your vet. It also retails for a premium price.

• See Also: Sundays for Dogs Food Review: Our Expert’s Opinion On Value!

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9. Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Solutions Healthy Heart Support

Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Solutions Healthy Heart Support is a great supplement to a heart-healthy diet but can also be fed as the primary diet. However, it is grain-free, so it may not be ideal for all dogs with heart disease, but it’s also free of legumes and potatoes. This food is rich in omega fatty acids to support your dog’s cardiac health. It can be served as-is or rehydrated, leaving the option of how to feed it up to your dog’s preferences. This food retails for a premium price, and a bag will not last many dogs for more than a few meals when fed as the primary food source.

• See Also: KetoNatural Dog Food Review: Is it Good Value? Our Expert’s Opinion

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Dog Foods for Heart Disease

Important Info About Grain-Free Diets

In the last few years, grain-free diets have grown rapidly in popularity due to their perceived health benefits. However, the number of dogs developing heart conditions, specifically non-hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy, has been on the rise. Some studies have indicated a connection between grain-free diets and DCM development.

It still remains unclear if the connection has to do with the lack of grains in the diet or the presence of supplemental food items, like legumes that are used as protein sources in these diets. Regardless, it’s extremely important to discuss the potential pros and cons of a grain-free diet with your vet before switching your dog. It’s even more important to have this discussion if your dog has or is prone to heart disease.

• See Also: 8 Best Dog Foods for Gassy Dogs – Reviews & Top Picks

Conclusion

While reviews can be beneficial when finding the right diet for your dog with heart disease, it really comes down to a decision to be made between you and your veterinarian. However, the top pick for dogs with heart disease on our search is the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Early Cardiac Dry Food, which is a prescription diet.

The budget-friendly pick is the food from Spot & Tango, which provides a subscription service. For a premium product, the Hill’s Prescription Diet h/d Heart Care Chicken Flavor food is another prescription diet that is formulated specifically for dogs with heart disorders.  Our vets recommend that heart patients be on prescription heart foods as a gold standard but your own dog’s vet is best placed to make recommendations tailored to you and your pet, so reach out to them to help you make this important decision.

• You may also be wondering: Are Heart Murmurs Genetic in Dogs? 

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Featured Image Credit: Ground-Picture, Shutterstock