Canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a fatal disease that weakens the heart’s ability to pump blood to all parts of the body. In most cases, dogs with DCM won’t show symptoms until the disease has progressed into the late stages.

According to the VCA Hospitals, signs may be sudden onset. Some dogs may develop severe congestive heart failure (CHF) in just a matter of hours. Therefore, it’s important to schedule an early detection test with your dog’s vet, especially if they are among the commonly affected breeds such as Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Cocker Spaniels and English Springer Spaniels.

As with all medical conditions, prevention is better than cure. Find out some of the DCM signs to watch out for in this infographic:

Protect your dog’s heart by giving them food that’s enriched with Taurine. Dr. Jean-Paul Ly, a veterinarian and clinical nutritionist & the co-founder of Addiction Foods, recognized the correlation between dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy and Taurine deficiency more than 10 years ago.

“Taurine supplementation for dogs has never been mandated by AAFCO. However, we at Addiction identified the need and pioneered the supplementation of taurine in our food since 2002. We have been adding taurine in all our dog foods ever since,” said Dr. Ly.

All Addiction dry and raw alternative dog food is rich in Taurine and made with premium proteins sourced from the purest place on Earth – New Zealand. We gently cook our food at just the right temperature to kill off harmful bacteria while keeping the nutrients, like Taurine, intact.

With proper care and diet, you can help prevent your dog from developing DCM. Learn more about Taurine’s role in helping your dog’s heart healthy here.  – Addictionpet.com