Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs: What We’re Doing Pt. 2

You’ve just been given a serious diagnosis for your pet. What now? When I got the call while waiting in the ER for my Sophie, it felt like my heart sank through the floor. How could my usually bouncy little pup have congestive heart failure?! My mind started racing to, who do I know who could help in this situation. I’m grateful and blessed that being in the pet space for over 10 years has allowed me to meet a lot of people. As I’d mentioned, I reached out to holistic/homeopathic vet, Dr. Adriana Sagrera. She has become a lifesaver.

I avoid pharmaceuticals; my friends and clients know that. However, with congestive heart failure, it is important to put your pet on the medicines that have been proven over time to take the pressure off of the heart and decrease the fluid in the lungs or the abdomen, which is common with congestive heart dis-ease. And while I didn’t think twice about doing that, I also knew there would be natural things we could do – supplements, treatments, to support Sophie’s body while the pharmaceuticals were doing their work. Turns out, there were a lot more than I realized, and this is such a great opportunity to share them with you, so you can know, too.

How Heart Dis-Ease Can Begin & What Sophie’s Really Means

 

Dr. Sagrera believed Sophie’s heart problems started as a collagen problem; weak collagen fibers and fibrils in and around her heart. Collagen fibrils, a major component of mitral valve leaflets (a part of the mitral valve), play an important role in defining shape and providing the mechanical strength and flexibility of that part of the heart’s function. Studies show that collagen fibrils undergo dramatic changes in the course of mitral valve disease in both dogs and humans. She thought Sophie could’ve been born that way (genetic) or it could’ve been caused by diet (more on that later), we didn’t know for sure.

However, this is how leaky mitral valves, which is where Sophie’s problem started, begins in dogs, as per the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. “There are 4 valves in the heart and the most commonly affected with the greatest leakage is the mitral valve. This valve separates the left ventricle from the left atrium. Normally this valve closes when the heart contracts and this closure prevents blood from going back into the atrium, so that all the blood goes to the body. When the valve leaks, the blood goes backwards into the left atrium. The flow of blood going the wrong way is called ‘regurgitation’. Therefore, this disease often is called mitral regurgitation (If the valve between the right ventricle and right atrium also is affected the term tricuspid regurgitation is used). Eventually, the left atrium enlarges followed by fluid accumulation in the lungs because of too much volume and pressure. The valve leaks because it has ‘degenerated’. The normal structural integrity of the leaflets of the valve is lost. The valve is composed of elastic and collagen tissue with another substance called the spongiosa. In the older dog, the tissues (elastic and collagen fibers) that give support and resiliency to the valve weaken and the spongiosa gets thicker. The thickened valve ‘flops’ more (think about the loss of similar tissues in skin and the difference between a young and old person). As a result of these changes, the thickened valve does not close properly. So it leaks.”

Once the left atrium enlarges, a lot of pressure is placed on it and everything around it and, eventually, it fails. Then, the right atrium is put under enormous pressure doing the work of the whole heart. This is what happened with Sophie. This is where she was at when we arrived at the ER that day.

Immediately, in conjunction with the three medications cardiologists commonly put dogs on with heart dis-ease/heart failure, Dr. Sagrera integrated supplements and other supports for Sophie’s body.

The common pharmaceuticals are:

 

– Furosimide (Lasix), which is a powerful diuretic to quickly take the pressure off the heart and drain the fluid from the lung, abdomen, etc. It is very hard on the liver.

– Pimobendan (Vetmedin) – this improves heart function and helps delay the onset of heart failure. It is generally well-tolerated in dogs.

– Sildenafil – this lowers the pressure in the lung so Sophie can breathe easier.

We integrated:

– Standard Process Cardio Plus – a human cardiac support supplement

– Standard Process Canine Cardio Support

– Standard Process Ligaplex II – This is interesting because it’s a joint and muscle support supplenent. This is what it says it does:

• Provides essential nutrients to support the skeletal system and facilitate movement
• Nutritional compounds for support of proper formation and maintenance of skeletal tissues
• Involved in maintenance of healthy fluid levels
• Contains bovine heart PMG™ extract
• Contains a combination of key ingredients from Cyro-Yeast®, Cardiotrophin PMG®, Ostrophin PMG®, Manganese B12™, Super-EFF®, and Cataplex® E
• Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin B₁₂ and manganese

Dr. Sagrera has seen great results in helping to strengthen the heart walls.

– Dandelion and parsley tea, mixed and given 1 tablespoon in her food. Both dandelion and parsley are natural diuretics and dandelion is a great bitter herb that supports the liver. Both are great antioxidants and have lots of vitamins and minerals.  The hope is this will take the place of Furosimide, either in allowing us to wean Sophie down from 3x/day to 1, or get her totally off at some point.

– Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) – this is a combination of one molecule of the world’s most powerful pathogen killer and two molecules of oxygen. Oxygen has been shown to be a powerful healing force in heart dis-ease. The two molecules in ClO2 bathe the cells, helping to repair them and also boost energy from the extra oxygen molecule. I am using a small spray bottle with a 1ml Clo2/1L of filtered water and spraying each side of her mouth 3-4x/day.

– HighVibe Mushrooms – an amazing product I have been giving the dogs for a couple of months and also take myself that has increased my energy and clarity. There are ten medicinal mushrooms in this product, which is sourced through a 30+ year mycologist who grows the mushrooms and harvests them himself. The mushrooms, which have all been shown to have enormous health benefits for human and animals, includes: Chaga, Cordyceps, Red Reishi, Lion’s Mane; King Trumpet; Antrodia; Maitake; Shitake; Turkey Tail; Himematsutake. I love this product, recommend it to my clients who have also had great results, and I think it has great value for supporting Sophie’s body to help it heal. Full transparency, I am also an Ambassador for this brand, an affiliate and my clients, friends, students are able to receive a discount when ordering this through the link above.

– Calcium – I am using Seaweed Calcium by Animal Essentials, recommended by Dr. Sagrera because it’s highly absorbable and made from human grade calcified seaweed that has been sustainably harvested from the seabeds of Iceland. Pretty cool, right?

– Homeopathy – Dr. Sagrera and I worked together to do Sophie’s homeopathic case and agreed that Sepia in a 12C potency was a good first choice based on the way Sophie was uniquely expressing her symptoms. 12C is a relatively low potency and Dr. Sagrera chose that for a reason. She didn’t want to give Sophie a potency that could be too much for her system at this point. We had had that experience with the Mercurius recently and we decided to go more gently, feeling our way with how Sophie responded. The plan was to give her just one dose and then wait 3 days and see how she’s doing. That was last Wednesday, April 26.

It’s three days later now, and it seems the Sepia has benefitted her. About one hour after the dose, she started barking with Ani, my other dog, at a squirrel in the backyard. I opened the door and the two of them took off after it. Sophie hadn’t done something like that in about two weeks. Later that day, she wanted to go for a walk, something she doesn’t want to do every day since this started. She was trotting a lot and after about 30 minutes outside, mom wanted to go back, but Sophie didn’t! These were amazing signs. We are still giving the Sepia time to continue doing its work in her body. With homeopathy, depending on the condition, the vital force of the animal and the potency of the remedy, you can give a dose once and wait a week to re-dose, or longer. The remedy, once it matches with the energy of the illness in the animal, stimulates the body”s healing powers. I’ll keep you posted here.

– The Solex AO Scanner – This incredible machine will scan you or your pet’s body and identify the out of balance frequencies and then optimize them. We are all energy; everything around us is energy. This is why homeopathy works, reiki, massage, any hands on technique for that matter. And this is how the scanner work. I’ve been scanning Sophie every day to optimize her out of balance frequencies so she will feel better and it will support her body to heal. A pet’s Vitals scan also will include  4 music files with supportive frequencies embedded into the music that you can play for them to also help them. I love this company and machine and encourage everyone to look into it. I am an affiliate for this product.

Dr. Marty Goldstein Was Adamant About This

 

In my previous post, I mentioned that Dr. Marty Goldstein, the iconic holistic veterinarian who was one of the first to start it all in holistic veterinary practice in the 1970’s, introduced me to a vet he thought I should definitely consult with for Sophie’s heart condition. In his words he said, “If it were my dog, I would definitely reach out to her.” That was enough for me. I have great respect for Dr. Marty. For decades, this trailblazer endured ridicule and vitriol from fellow veterinarians who didn’t understand what he was doing and/or felt threatened by it. Isn’t that the way it is for many trailblazers. It takes time to the masses to catch up and, in the process, there are the haters. The link to his name will take you to the documentary film made about him called The Dog Doc. It was selected by all the top film festivals to compete before Covid hit and derailed its promotion. I highly recommend watching it, if you haven’t seen already. This man is truly a maverick.

Dr. Jacqueline Ruskin out of VCA Animal Healing Center in Yardley, PA., was mentored by Dr. Marty and worked at Smithridge Vet Center, his practice, for years. He told me he used to send all of his cardiac patients to her; that she was great. So, I called and set up a consult and, she was great! I told her I was also working with Dr. Sagrera and what Sophie was taking based on her protocol. It’s really important when you’re working with more than one doctor or practitioner that everyone is on the same page. You don’t want to give something that could be contraindicated with something else another practitioner recommended and you want to make sure the totality of the protocol works so each element supports the whole.

She said her protocol with congestive heart dis-ease and failure has helped lots of dogs live for years with a good quality of life, pretty normally. My heart soared!

Here is what Dr. Ruskin wanted to add to Sophie’s plan:

 

– Systemic Enzymes by Pet Health and Nutrition Center – This contains something called nattokinase, an enzyme derived from the ancient food, natto. Natto  has been used in Japan for centuries for health benefits. Studies since 1990 have shown nattokinase rapidly dissolves clots and promotes health cardiovascular blood flow. The other ingredient in this product that Dr. Ruskin likes is Rutin. Rutin is a bioflavanoid that helps promote healthy circulation, maintains collagen, the material that makes up the important fibers and fibrils around the heart, and blocks the release of histamines for pets with allergies.

– Biocardio by Thorne Vet – combines the antioxidant potential of CoQ10 with other cardio-protective nutrients and botanicals, like taurine, L-carnitine, which has been shown to improve appetite and exercise tolerance in dogs (Sophie’s appetite is spotty); Crataegus laevigata (hawthorn extract),  Terminalia arjuna (arjuna extract), which contribute to healthy heart muscle function, and Eleutherococcus senticosus (eleuthero root extract), an adaptogen that supports physical stamina. Dr. Sagrera and now I have a concern that the Hawthorne in this product may contraindicate with Sophie’s heart meds, and Dr. Ruskin says she’s been using this for years with no problem in the dogs, which are also on conventional heart meds. I ordered it, am thinking about it, and have Dr. Sagrera’s blessing to try it with Sophie and see how she does. I’ll let you know what I decide and how it works, if we use it. I love the ingredients, see the value in each of them.

– Kidney & Heart Glandular drops by Best For Your Pet – I used this product with Albie, my little Chihuahua guy for his heart dis-ease. It has extracts of mammalian (bovine) glands and organs that support the kidneys and heart. It is based on the same concept I teach and talk about with clients and students; when you want to support an organ in the body, feed that same organ to your pet because it has strengthening and tonic-like actions.  Best For Your Pet is a really good company and this is on order, as well.

– Acupuncture – Sophie was still exhibiting those head and body tremors. Now, not being able to explore it further because she’s no longer a candidate with her heart condition to go under anesthesia, Dr. Ruskin said she has had great success managing tremors in dogs using acupuncture. I’m not well-versed in Traditional Veterinary Chinese Medicine (TVCM), and Dr. Ruskin said that there’s dampness in the body from her heart condition, which makes sense regarding the fluid build-up. And that tremors relate to wind in the body. Acupuncture can address them both. We have our first acupuncture appointment this Tuesday. I’ll let you know how it goes.

The Emotional Factor

 

I have to include something I strongly believe escalated the degeneration of Sophie’s heart – heart break. Sophie was always a daddy’s girl, and when Stanley and I divorced last summer, and he went back to England to live, I think Sophie’s heart broke. She’s a stoic little girl and would still play and seem happy. And, I’ll never forget the look in her eyes when he walked out with his suitcases. Life happens and we do our best to protect those we love, and, you can’t protect someone, human or animal, from this. It breaks my own heart to think about it.

Another Diagnosis For Sophie Undetected For Years

 

There would be another aspect to Sophie’s condition we hadn’t yet addressed. Based on her elevated eosinophils in her recent labs, Dr. Sagrera had a hunch that would require me to get Sophie’s blood drawn again, get the serum spun out and then overnight it to her. If she was right, it could answer more questions about Sophie’s condition and how to help her.

In my next post, I’ll tell you about Dr. Sagrera’s hunch, the test we did and what we discovered.

To their best health ever –

Jody