My dog has heart failure. Can they eat low-sodium vegetarian food?

Question

Is it possible for a dog that goes into heart failure to be fed a vegetarian/vegan dog food? The reason I ask this is because I contacted the company whose food I feed now (Natural Balance) and they told me their lowest sodium formula is the vegetarian/vegan one. It's 0.11% sodium dry matter basis and 0.12% taurine. Is this an ok option instead of a prescription food? I'm really not a fan of hills. Please explain. Thanks! Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 4 years and 11 months old | 17 lbs

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

Natural Balance vegetarian food has been formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of the average dog, and while it is low in sodium it probably does not have the same benefits as a prescription diet. If your veterinarian recommended a prescription diet made by Hill's you could ask about alternative brands like Royal Canin or Purina. If you aren't a fan of those brands you could also look into a home cooked diet: your veterinarian can direct you to a nutritionist or you can visit BalanceIT.com to have a nutrionist formulate a diet.

My dog has heart failure. Can they eat low-sodium vegetarian food?

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