# Feeding Heart



## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

This post is more of an fyi than anything IF anyone is even interested. My 5 year old beagle aussie was diagnosed with a heart murmur in March 2014. I fed her lazy raw for a few years but really got on the bandwagon with our new pup who could not tolerate kibble. So I had this crazy idea to feed my older girl extra heart to heal her heart, couldn't hurt. Since fall of 2014 not only has she eaten about 5-10% of heart as her raw diet, but I give her extra each day as a snacky snack. At her vet visit last week it took several minutes for the vet to find the murmur and the vet said it was the quietest murmur she has ever heard. I realize it could have more to do with the change in diet than the extra heart snacks but think it is worth mentioning. I am hoping her next visit she is heart murmur free!


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

Let us know what the vet says at the next visit! That's awesome!


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## Sgrecco (Jan 29, 2014)

Very cool!


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## LeonilCraig (Oct 7, 2013)

Kritter said:


> This post is more of an fyi than anything IF anyone is even interested. My 5 year old beagle aussie was diagnosed with a heart murmur in March 2014. I fed her lazy raw for a few years but really got on the bandwagon with our new pup who could not tolerate kibble. So I had this crazy idea to feed my older girl extra heart to heal her heart, couldn't hurt. Since fall of 2014 not only has she eaten about 5-10% of heart as her raw diet, but I give her extra each day as a snacky snack. At her vet visit last week it took several minutes for the vet to find the murmur and the vet said it was the quietest murmur she has ever heard. I realize it could have more to do with the change in diet than the extra heart snacks but think it is worth mentioning. I am hoping her next visit she is heart murmur free!



Any news about her heart murmur?


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

Thanks for asking, but we won't find out until her visit next March. I am hoping it will be completely gone by then, although I have been slacking on the extra heart snacks, gotta get back to it.


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## LeonilCraig (Oct 7, 2013)

Any good news about your dog's result?


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## Kritter (Jan 9, 2015)

Just an update that my beagle/aussie girl, at 6 years old, had no mention of a heart murmur this past vet visit. Still feeding her mostly raw.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Yay! I believe it. Not because of the heart, but because of the diet. I had a dog with a grade four heart murmur and they took two ultrasounds two years apart. In the second ultrasound her heart had actually shrunk in size. She passed away eventually of another problem, but her heart never gave out.

I feed about 40% beef heart. Have for years.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

xellil said:


> Yay! I believe it. Not because of the heart, but because of the diet. I had a dog with a grade four heart murmur and they took two ultrasounds two years apart. In the second ultrasound her heart had actually shrunk in size. She passed away eventually of another problem, but her heart never gave out.
> 
> I feed about 40% beef heart. Have for years.


I remember when you went through that, it was Snorkles. Your story added to my belief in raw back then. Its a story I'll never forget!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Yes, it was. The spondylosis in her spine caused her death. But her heart was strong, and her murmur reduced to level 1-2 depending on the vet listening.

I have a foster now who had a grade four/five heart murmur when I got her. She hasn't had an ultrasound but I'm also hoping for improved heart function for her. Last vet visit he said he thought it sounded better than a few months ago.


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## sassymaxmom (Dec 7, 2008)

That is terrific!

Dogs are supposed to synthesize their own taurine unlike cats but some lines of various breeds don't do a good job. There is a particular type of heart failure that develops if the dog doesn't get enough taurine and it's a different problem than the one cats have. 

And heart is the classic source of taurine although there are a number of meats higher in it. Heart is super delicious according to my dogs as well.

Max had a scary sounding murmur one time and I jumped to supplementing with taurine as that was long before he was fed fresh food. It wasn't heard again but the diagnosis wasn't confirmed and he was super anxious at the vet's anyway.


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