Dilated Cardiomyopathy In Dogs From A TCM Perspective

By Marlene Smith-Schalkwijk DVM

This is the most common heart disease in dogs. It is caused by dilation and weakening of the heart muscle resulting in congestive heart failure. This condition is often associated with canine hypothyroidism or a leaking heart valve leading to exhaustion of the heart muscle. The drugs benazapril (a blood vessel dilator) and digitalis are often used to treat this disease.

If we look at this disease from a holistic perspective we can call upon Traditional Chinese Medicine to better understand the causes that lead to the imbalance, that eventually leads to the weakening of the heart muscle.

The heart is called the “Prince of the Circulation”; it dominates the blood and blood vessels. The power of the contraction is referred to as the “ Heart Qi”. Qi refers to the energy that makes things work or move in the body. This Qi is received from the parents in the form of “ pre-natal Qi”, which is stored in the kidneys.

After birth the Qi is produced in the spleen, or the digestive network. If this digestive network does not function properly we see tiredness, weakness of the muscles, running out of energy when exercising, not wanting to get up in the morning and lagging behind during walks. The animal might be a “couch potato”. The Chinese medicine practitioner will look at the tongue and find a flabby tongue that lies in the mouth like a rag! The doctor will also feel the pulse, which will feel weak and difficult to find. This deficiency can be caused by a poor functioning thyroid gland (the mastermind of the metabolism). Nutritional deficiencies or co-enzyme deficiencies can also cause it. There may not be a heart problem at this point yet.

What could be done at this point? First we would check the thyroid function with a blood test. If it is low the animal should be supplemented with thyroid hormone. We would also look at the diet. All cats and most dogs are predominantly carnivores; this means they evolved eating mostly RAW meat. Their  “digestive network” is designed to create building blocks for muscles, blood etc. from meat. Also their energy comes from protein and not from carbohydrates! Excess carbohydrates (as in commercial dog and cat food) can swamp or over burden the spleen (or digestive network), which means it can no longer produce useful Qi. The resulting Qi deficiency can lead to the above-described results. 

Certain amino acids (building blocks for muscle proteins) are essential for the functioning of muscles and the heart muscle is particularly sensitive to deficiencies. One of these amino acids is Taurine. It is present in raw meat and has a high concentration in organ meat. It gets destroyed in heating or cooking (as in commercial dried or canned food). This Taurine is often added to dried cat food.

Co-enzymes are essential for the functioning of the mitochondria. These are a part of every cell and are the engines of the cells; this is where energy production takes place. Co-enzyme Q 10 is one of these essential co-enzymes which is needed for proper heart muscle function. In a diseased heart the use of this enzyme often exceeds what the animal’s body can produce. Supplementing patients with heart muscle weakness with co-enzyme Q10 greatly increases their life expectancy.  L-carnitine is another. These two products are often added to support the heart patient.  Herbs such as Hawthorn and Siberian Ginseng will both increase heart muscle contractility. And of course we can also do acupuncture to stimulate the production of “post-natal Qi” and to regulate the heart Qi. We would also pay attention to the kidney. Deficiency of the parental Qi, stored in the kidney might be the underlying cause of the Qi deficiency. Herbal supplements would be used to correct or minimize that problem.

A good holistic exam, especially TCM could lead to early detection of problems in the digestive network (or spleen) and or early diagnosis of heart disease. With early detection preventive medicine may avoid the full development of the disease. Once developed, acupuncture, dietary management and supplements will help to prolong the life of the patient and often enable us to reduce the amount of drugs needed to control the disease.

Dr. Marlene Smith-Schalkwijk DVM

Dr. Smith is a licensed veterinarian specializing in veterinary acupuncture, herbal medicine.

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