Nutrition for patients with cardiac disease

1. Acute treatment
-Reduce high salt treats and foods
-Stabilize the patient
Chronic treatment
- Gradual change to the selected diet once the patient is home and adjusting
well to medication ( usually a week)
Nutrition for patients with Cardiac
Disease

2. Every patient is an individual
Reduce salt and address the patients preference for canned or dry food
Strive for optimum BCS ( cardiac patients tend to lose body mass when not
regulated.This is called Cardiac Cachexia)
Avoid diets that adversely interact with the required medications
What is the best diet?

3. Reduction in lean body mass of your patient
Can be an indication of patients reduced immune function, wound healing
and impending mortality
Due to anorexia, increased metabolism and inflammatory cytokines
a. Tumor necrosis factor
b. interleukin
What is Cardiac Cachexia?

4. Manage the congestive heart failure
Reduce anorexia with palatable diets, smaller more frequent meals and
flavor enhancers
Reduce cytokine production with fish oil which provides omega 3 fatty acids
Managing Cardiac Cachexia

5. May reduce cardiac size in dogs with congestive heart failure
With early asymptomatic heart disease it will increase aldosterone and heart
rate but have no effect on cardiac size or function
Asymptomatic dogs avoid high sodium
Early CHF mild restriction
Severe CHF may need more restriction
Sodium Restriction
( no optimal amount)

6. Hyperkalemia ( excess potassium) may be due to
a. diuretics- potassium sparing
b. ACE inhibitors like benazepril or enalapril
c. diet
Potassium Excess

7. Many cardiac diets are protein restricted to help reduce stress on kidneys
and liver
Taurine
a. Essential amino acid for cats, deficiency leads to retinal lesions, dilated
cardiomyopathy,
b. Usually due to homemade or vegetarian diet
c. Supplement until improvement
d. Non essential amino acid in dogs but deficiency can cause dilated
cardiomyopathy in some breeds
Avoid Nutrient Deficiencies

8. Check levels in dogs not usually diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy
Golden retrievers, cocker spaniels, newfoundlands, St Bernards
Check the diet and if necessary supplement with 500 mg of taurine 2-3 times
a day
Dilated Cardiomyopathy and taurine
continued

9. Reduce inflammation by reducing cytokines and eicosanoids
Reduces muscle loss
Reduces the development of arrhythmias
Use fish oil but avoid cod liver oil and flax seed oil
Omega 3 Fatty Acids