Heart Disease
Cardiomyopathy
Helping heart disease with alternative therapies
By Shawn Messonnier, DVM

In dogs and cats, one of the two most common forms of heart disease is cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle itself is actually diseased. Larger breeds of dogs, especially boxers and Doberman pinschers, may be afflicted with dilated cardiomyopathy, although reports now show increased incidence in American cocker spaniels as well. In dilated cardiomyopathy, the heart enlarges as the heart muscle becomes progressively thinner. The thinner muscle does not pump blood adequately and, with time, congestive heart failure occurs. The disease affects most dogs between the ages of four and eight and, although the cause is unknown, the higher incidence in purebred dogs when compared to mixed breed dogs suggests a genetic relationship. Other research has shown a deficiency of the amino acids L-carnitine or taurine in some dogs.

Taurine deficiencies linked to disease in cats

In the past, veterinarians saw cases of dilated cardiomyopathy in cats as well. However, recent evidence that taurine deficiency contributed to most cases of feline dilated cardiomyopathy resulted in manufacturers increasing the amounts of taurine in commercial cat foods. As a result, we rarely see dilated cardiomyopathy in cats today, unless owners prepare food at home and do not adequately supplement with taurine. (This is especially problematic if owners insist on feeding cats vegetarian diets, as vegetables do not contain taurine.)

Today, cats with heart disease most commonly suffer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This condition appears to be genetic in origin and most commonly occurs in younger (four to eight-year-old) male cats. The heart muscle in the cat thickens, diminishing the size of the chambers of the heart. Sometimes, the chambers are reduced to such an extent that little blood can be pumped around the body. This lack of forward movement of blood results in heart failure in severe, chronic cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In some cases, emboli (a collection of clotted platelets) form in the heart and travel to another area of the body, most commonly the lower aorta. This embolus then cuts off blood to the body part served by the blocked aorta, usually one or both hind limbs, causing paralysis. Often this secondary effect of cardiomyopathy prompts the client to bring in the cat for a veterinary visit, allowing for the diagnosis of the underlying heart disease.

Conventional therapy for heart disease includes medications such as diuretics and various cardiac drugs (digitalis, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors.) While complementary therapies can sometimes be used by themselves, in most pets with cardiomyopathy, you will need to combine them with some type of conventional medications. For the purposes of this article, I will address complementary therapies only.

Complementary therapies and conventional medicines

The main complementary therapies for dogs and cats with cardiomyopathy include taurine, carnitine, hawthorn, Coenzyme Q-10, and fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids.)

Supplementation with taurine may be beneficial in both cats and dogs with heart disease. In cats with taurine deficiency that results in dilated cardiomyopathy, you should see clinical improvement within two to three weeks following supplementation. Improvements in the EKG and radiographs will often take three to six weeks. Cats with normal taurine levels would not be expected to respond to supplementation with taurine (although since taurine supplementation is safe, any cat with heart disease could probably receive a diet containing additional taurine.)

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Published in the Winter 2002 issue of Animal Wellness Magazine