Heart disease in boxers

[boxer]

I read that boxers are prone to heart disease, and start to worry about my girl as she's approaching her 'senior' years and isn't quite so trim and fit as she used to be. Does anybody know if this is diet related at all, or if feeding a raw/natural diet would help guard against that sort of problem? I know diet, cholesterol and fat is a big factor in humans developing heart disease so it just seems to make sense that dogs might be similarly affected. Does anybody know much about heart disease and diet in dogs? Any advice is appreciated.

Debbie

 

[rockysmum]

well my rocky has cardiomyapathy (he's only 4)...his heart is actully enlarged. Low sodium a must. I'd watch her waistline, it won't help any if she's overweight (just like a human)

From what I know about dog's diets:
1. Salt, can not be digested by a dog, so leave out salt whenever possible. If a recipe calls for butter or broth, look for no or low sodium..make sure to also use garlic powder NOT garlic salt
2. Raisins and onions in large enough amounts can be toxic to a dog