MANAGEMENT PAKAN UNTUK PENYAKIT JANTUNG

MANAGEMENT PAKAN UNTUK PENYAKIT JANTUNG

Oleh : NINDYA KUSUMA, DRH

Sumber : BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Cardiorespiratory Medicine 2^ed 

Jantung merupakan organ vital yang terdiri atas atrium kanan dan kiri, ventrikel kanan dan kiri. Jantung dalam tubuh berfungsi memompa darah untuk mengirimkan oksigen dan nutrisi ke jaringan-jaringan tubuh dan memenuhi kebutuhan metabolisme tubuh. Seiring bertambahnya usia pada anjing dan kucing maka beresiko juga menderita penyakit jantung. Rata-rata peningkatan risiko penyakit jantung pada anjing usia tua.

Penyakit jantung juga bisa disebabkan karena obesitas. Obesitas adalah akumulasi lemak berlebihan di dalam tubuh. Penyebab utama obesitas adalah asupan kalori yang berlebihan dan exercise yang kurang. Jika asupan kalori melebihi energi yang dibakar oleh tubuh maka kelebihannya akan disimpan. Lemak yang beredar di dalam peredaran darah maka akan membuat kerja jantung semakin berat untuk memompa. Selain itu, Anjing dan kucing yang memiliki kelebihan berat badan cenderung tekanan darahnya tinggi (hipertensi) sehingga jantung memiliki beban kerja meningkat karena harus memompa darah untuk pertambahan jaringan. Hal ini akan membuat kerusakan pada jantung atau congestive heart failure.   
Terapi penyakit jantung dengan mengatur kandungan makanan yang akan dimakan oleh hewan kesayangan kita. Menurut jurnal Veterinary World, Vol.2(12):482-485 Anjing yang menderita penyakit jantung umumnya kehilangan massa otot (terjadi di sekitar 50% dari pasien jantung dengan kongestif gagal jantung). Penyakit CHF, asam amino dari otot sumber utama energi yang mengakibatkan hilangnya massa tubuh.

          Nutrisi untuk Anjing yang menderita CHF yaitu beralih ke makanan dengan asupan gizi yang memenuhi. Diet buatan sendiri dengan rendah sodium. Suplementasi asam lemak Omega-3 menurunkan produksi sitokin. Dan nutrisi dari minyak ikan dengan kandungan omega-3 asam lemak.
      Pembatasan natrium adalah salah satu metode, bersama dengan penggunaan diuretik dan vasodilator vena, untuk mengobati kenaikan berlebihan dalam preload pada pasien dengan CHF. Diet natrium adalah pembatasan adalah salah satu dari beberapa metode untuk mengurangiakumulasi cairan.
         Diet klorida juga diperlukan, tetapi penelitian menunjukkan bahwa klorida mungkin penting dalam pengelolaan optimal CHF. Diet klorida bermanfaat untuk mengurangi renin plasma.
            Berbagai kekurangan nutrisi telah diketahui menyebabkan berbagai jenis penyakit jantung. Ini termasuk kekurangan tiamin , magnesium , vitamin E , selenium , dan taurin. Meskipun penyebab kekurangan gizi atau gizi tidak seimbang umumnya jarang terjadi. Tetapi masih mungkin menyebabkan beberapa penyakit jantung.            
        Taurin: Tidak seperti kucing, anjing dianggap mampu mensintesis jumlah yang cukup taurin endogen dan taurin tidak dianggap diperlukan dalam diet anjing. keturunan tertentu anjing dengan DCM (misalnya, Cocker Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Saint Bernard, Inggris Setter dan Golden Retriever) melakukan memiliki konsentrasi taurin rendah.         
         Arginine: Berdasarkan temuan endotel. Disfungsi pada pasien dengan CHF, suplemen  L-arginin menunjukkan mengurangi rate jantung dan resistensi vaskular sistemik, dengan tidak ada negatif efek pada kontraktilitas jantung.
      Lemak: Lemak merupakan sumber kalori dan asam lemak esensial dan meningkatkan palatabilitas diet. Anjing dengan gagal jantung memiliki konsentrasi plasma rendah dari asam eicosapentaenoic. Oleh karena itu, kandungan asam lemak bermanfaat bahkan sebelum menderita CHF.

Magnesium: Magnesium memainkan peran penting dalam fungsi kardiovaskular normal. Hal ini juga jelas bahwa perubahan dalam magnesium homeostasis pada anjing yang umum dan dapat memiliki efek merusak dalam berbagai kondisi kardiovaskular seperti hipertensi, penyakit gagal jantung kongestif, dan aritmia jantung.

Sumber :

Canine And Feline Nutrition 3^rd Ed. 2001. Elsevier.  

Canine  Nutrition. William D. Cusick. 1997.

Review on Nutritional Management of Cardiac Disorders in Canines. www.veterinaryworld.org

Veterinary World, Vol.2, No.12, Desember 2009. 

SIGNS and SYMPTOMS OF HEART DISEASE

SIGNS and SYMPTOMS OF HEART DISEASE

by Alvin Febrianth, DRH

            The heart has a very important role in the body as it works to pump blood all around the body. All organs in the body also need a blood supply from the heart to be able to work normally. If there is a problem with the heart, the blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body cannot be optimal because the heart ability to pump blood is decrease. Therefore we better understand more about heart disease, especially clinical symptoms and signs that often appear.

We must know the difference between Heart Disease and Heart Failure. Heart disease can be caused due to the aging that affects the structure of the heart (such as heart valves) and the heart muscle becomes malformed. Other causes because there are developmental abnormalities of the heart organ so that the structure of the heart and blood vessels become abnormal from birth.

Heart failure, also often referred to as congestive heart failure or CHF, is the end result of any type of heart disease. Dogs and cats that suffer from heart disease may eventually suffer from congestive heart failure if the disease within the heart results in an inability of the heart to function normally. When the heart is unable to pump blood effectively to other areas of the body, congestive heart failure results. Unlike the heart attack, where blood supply to the heart suddenly stopped or cut off. Because the heart is the engine that transports oxygen throughout the body, congestive heart failure ultimately affects other organs as well.

Animals can suffer from heart disease without show any signs of heart failure. But if the animal is already experiencing heart failure, there is also a big possibility that they have heart disease. Some of the animals are suffering from heart disease can live without showing any symptoms. But in some time that heart disease will worsen, symptoms will begin to appear slowly or even be instantaneous. For that we need to understand the symptoms that lead to heart disease.

            Cough is the most common symptom of heart disease although several other diseases are also showing clinical symptoms such as coughing. The cough may be a dry hacking cough that sounds like your pet gags after coughing. Some describe it as if their pet is “trying to hack up a hairball” at the end of the coughing spell. A mild cough is usually normal and does not often appear. But if a cough is still more than three days and frequently appears, can lead to diseases including heart disease.

            A change in breathing is a symptom of heart disease. Visible changes usually are difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, and breathing becomes faster although it is not doing excessive exercise. Indeed, for the symptoms of this one is very difficult for us to examine, especially in dogs. But if we often observe our dogs, then this breathing change can be seen.

            Changes in behavior usually occur in dogs suffering from heart disease. Changes in behavior that looks generally dogs become easily tired, being less playful, reluctance to exercise, reluctance to accept affection, being withdrawn, or an appearance of depression, these are all signs of heart disease. If you take your dog out for his usual walk and you notice that he does not want to walk the usual mile, this may mean he is tiring sooner than he used to.

            Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is also one of the symptoms of heart disease. The weakening of the heart muscle in heart disease causes interruption of blood flow throughout the body, resulting in the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. The presences of fluid in the chest cavity also become one of the symptoms of heart disease. Because the heart cannot pump blood normally, then the blood can accumulate in the lungs and other organs. The presence of high blood pressure in blood vessels (veins) causes fluid leak in to the lungs. This causes coughing in dogs due to heart disease.

            Poor appetite or even not eating at all can be a sign that your dog is sick. Not only is heart disease that causes loss of appetite, almost all diseases lead to poor appetite. These symptoms can be guessed lead to heart disease if our dog would not eat but there is enlargement in the abdomen due to fluid buildup. This sometimes makes the owners are confused because the dog would not eat, but his stomach getting bigger. Supposedly if a reduced appetite will lead to weight loss, but because of the buildup of fluid, there will be weight gain.

            Other symptoms often makes us panic is our dog suddenly collapsed or fainted. These symptoms usually appear suddenly after our dog had excessive exercise. Or even our dog was just standing or walking for a while and then collapsed and looked like a seizure. There are several symptoms like this could have lasted longer and caused the death, but some are also suddenly collapsed but not too long then back to normal again.

            The symptoms mentioned above that lead to heart disease. If these symptoms appear not be in hurry diagnose your dog suffering from heart disease. Immediately take it to the vet and consult when symptoms above appear. The vet will conduct further tests to make sure the symptoms are a sign of heart disease or not. Since many other diseases have symptoms similar to heart disease.

            Dogs or cats that suffer from heart disease require special care and monitoring at home. Appropriate treatment can delay the onset of heart failure. Special monitoring can help us to observe changes in the conditions if it gets worse. Ideally, if your dog or cat suffering from heart disease should be given a cozy place. Do not leave them in place with hot temperatures or in outdoors exposed to direct sunlight for a long time. Do not force them too often to have activities such as playing or exercise. Always provide drinking water for them. Do not ever give or prescription medications without the advice of a veterinarian. Follow the rules and instructions for use of the drug on the advice of a veterinarian.

            A special diet may be recommended for your dog or cat if heart disease has been diagnosed. A diet low in sodium is usually advisable. Avoid treats and other foods that have a high salt content. Some dogs cannot metabolize the amino acid L-carnitine and taurine efficiently. This amino acid is needed to keep the heart muscle healthy. So the lack of amino acids such as these in the diet can lead to heart disease. Now many feed specially formulated to help maintain heart health recommended by veterinarians. Consult a veterinarian for a special feed which will be given to our dog or cat when they suffering from heart disease.

MENGENALI GEJALA PADA GANGGUAN JANTUNG

MENGENALI GEJALA PADA GANGGUAN JANTUNG

oleh : Alvin Febrianth, DRH

            Jantung merupakan organ vital yang ada di dalam tubuh karena berfungsi memompa darah ke seluruh tubuh. Semua organ di dalam tubuh juga membutuhkan suplai darah dari jantung untuk dapat bekerja secara normal. Jika terdapat masalah pada jantung maka aliran darah dari jantung ke seluruh tubuh tidak dapat maksimal karena kerja jantung menjadi menurun. Oleh karena itu kita sebagai pemilik anjing harus lebih mengerti lagi tentang penyakit jantung terutama gejala klinis yang sering muncul.

           Kita harus mengetahui dulu perbedaanpenyakit jantung (Heart Disease) dengan gagal jantung (Heart Failure). Penyakit jantung bisa disebabkan karena faktor usia sehingga mempengaruhi struktur dari jantung (seperti katup jantung) dan otot jantung menjadi tidak sempurna. Penyebab lainnya karena terdapat kelainan perkembangan dari organ jantung sehingga struktur jantung dan pembuluh darah menjadi tidak normal sejak lahir.

Gagal jantung atau sering disebut dengan gagal jantung kongestif (Congestive Heart Failure) merupakan tahap akhir dari semua penyakit jantung. Hewan yang menderita penyakit jantung kemungkinan besar juga akan menderita gagal jantung jika penyakit tersebut menyebabkan jantung tidak dapat berfungsi secara normal. Gagal jantung terjadi akibat dari jantung tidak dapat memompa darah ke seluruh tubuh secara normal. Berbeda dengan serangan jantung, dimana suplai darah ke jantung tiba-tiba berhenti atau terputus. Karena jantung merupakan organ yang mensuplai darah dan oksigen ke seluruh tubuh, maka organ-organ lain yang mendapat suplai darah akan berpengaruh juga.

Hewan dapat menderita penyakit jantung tanpa diikuti dengan gagal jantung. Tetapi jika hewan tersebut sudah mengalami gagal jantung, besar kemungkinan juga terdapat penyakit jantung yang menyertainya. Beberapa hewan yang menderita penyakit jantung dapat hidup tanpa menunjukkan gejala apapun. Tetapi dalam beberapa waktu penyakit jantung tersebut akan bertambah parah, gejala akan mulai muncul perlahan atau bahkan bisa seketika. Untuk itu kita harus mengerti gejala-gejala yang mengarah ke penyakit jantung.

Batuk merupakan gejala yang paling sering muncul pada penyakit jantung meskipun beberapa penyakit lain juga menunjukkan gejala klinis seperti batuk. Pada penyakit jantung tipe batuk yang muncul adalah tipe kering. Pada anjing batuk yang sering terjadi seperti ingin mengeluarkan sesuatu dari tenggorokannya. Batuk ringan biasanya normal terjadi dan tidak sering muncul. Tetapi jika gejala batuk masih ada lebih dari tiga hari dan sering muncul, bisa mengarah ke penyakit termasuk penyakit jantung.

Perubahan pernafasan juga merupakan gejala dari penyakit jantung. Perubahan yang terlihat biasanya adalah susah bernafas atau sesak nafas dan pernafasan menjadi lebih cepat terutama saat istirahat atau bukan saat setelah melakukan kegiatan (exercise). Memang untuk gejala yang satu ini sangat susah untuk kita amati terutama pada anjing. Tetapi jika kita sering mengamati anjing kita, maka perubahan seperti ini akan dapat kita lihat.

        Perubahan tingkah laku biasanya terjadi pada anjing yang menderita penyakit jantung. Perubahan tingkah laku yang tampak biasanya anjing menjadi mudah lelah, menjadi jarang bergerak atau beraktifitas, menjadi tidak peduli atau menjaga jarak dengan kita dan menunjukkan sifat seperti depresi. Pada anjing biasanya jadi malas untuk diajak jalan-jalan atau mau diajak jalan-jalan tetapi mudah lelah dan cenderung lebih sering untuk duduk atau tiduran.

            Penumpukan cairan pada rongga perut juga menjadi salah satu gejala yang muncul pada penyakit jantung. Melemahnya otot jantung pada penyakit jantung menyebabkan gangguan aliran darah ke seluruh tubuh sehingga mengakibatkan terjadi penumpukan cairan pada rongga perut. Adanya cairan di rongga dada juga menjadi salah satu gejala penyakit jantung. Karena jantung tidak dapat memompa darah secara normal, maka darah dapat menumpuk di paru-paru dan organ lain. Adanya tekanan darah yang tinggi pada pembuluh darah balik (vena) menyebabkan cairan keluar ke paru-paru. Hal ini yang menyebabkan batuk pada anjing akibat penyakit jantung. 

            Nafsu makan menjadi berkurang atau bahkan tidak mau makan sama sekali bisa menjadi tanda bahwa anjing kita sedang sakit. Tidak hanya penyakit jantung saja yang menyebabkan kehilangan nafsu makan, hampir semua penyakit menyebabkan berkurangnya nafsu makan. Gejala ini bisa menjadi dugaan mengarah ke penyakit jantung jika anjing kita tidak mau makan tetapi ada pembesaran di perut karena penumpukkan cairan. Hal ini kadang membuat pemilik bingung karena anjingnya tidak mau makan tetapi perutnya semakin besar. Seharusnya jika nafsu makan berkurang akan menyebabkan penurunan berat badan, tetapi karena adanya penumpukkan cairan maka berat badan akan terlihat naik.

            Gejala lain yang sering membuat kita panik adalah anjing kita tiba-tiba ambruk atau pingsan. Gejala ini biasanya muncul tiba-tiba setelah anjing kita beraktifitas yang agak berlebihan. Atau bahkan anjing kita hanya berdiri atau jalan sebentar kemudian ambruk dan terlihat seperti kejang. Ada beberapa gejala seperti ini bisa berlangsung lama dan menyebabkan kematian, tetapi beberapa ada juga yang gejalanya tiba-tiba ambruk kemudian tidak terlalu lama bangun dan bertingkah laku normal lagi.

Gejala-gejala yang telah disebutkan di atas merupakan gejala yang mengarah ke penyakit jantung. Jika gejala tersebut muncul jangan terlalu buru-buru mendiagnosa anjing kita menderita penyakit jantung. Segera bawa ke dokter hewan dan konsultasikan bila gejala-gejala di atas muncul. Dokter hewan akan melakukan pemeriksaan lebih lanjut untuk memastikan gejala yang muncul tersebut merupakan tanda-tanda dari penyakit jantung atau bukan. Karena banyak penyakit yang lain juga memiliki gejala yang hampir sama dengan penyakit jantung.

Anjing atau kucing yang menderita penyakit jantung membutuhkan perawatan dan pemantauan khusus di rumah. Perawatan yang tepat dapat menunda timbulnya gagal jantung. Pemantauan yang khusus dapat membantu kita mengamati perubahan kondisi jika semakin parah. Idealnya jika anjing atau kucing menderita penyakit jantung harus diberikan tempat atau kandang dengan suasana yang nyaman. Jangan biarkan mereka di tempat dengan suhu ruangan yang panas atau berada di luar ruangan yang terkena sinar matahari langsung dalam waktu yang lama. Jangan paksa mereka melakukan aktifitas terlalu sering seperti bermain atau jalan-jalan. Selalu sediakan air minum untuk mereka. Jangan pernah kita memberikan obat tanpa anjuran atau resep dari dokter hewan. Ikuti aturan dan petunjuk pemakaian obat sesuai saran dari dokter hewan.

Pengaturan pola makan juga sangat disarankan untuk anjing atau kucing yang menderita penyakit jantung. Pakan dengan kadar natrium yang rendah dianjurkan untuk penderita penyakit jantung. Jangan memberikan pakan dengan kadar garam yang sangat tinggi. Pada beberapa anjing tidak dapat memetabolisme asam amino L-carnitine dan taurine dengan efisien. Asam amino ini diperlukan untuk menjaga otot jantung. Sehingga kekurangan asam amino seperti ini dalam pakan dapat mengakibatkan penyakit jantung. Sekarang sudah banyak pakan yang diformulasikan khusus untuk membantu memelihara kerja jantung yang direkomendasikan oleh dokter hewan. Konsultasikan dengan dokter hewan untuk pakan khusus yang akan diberikan kepada anjing atau kucing yang menderita penyakit jantung.

Sumber Pustaka :

Eldredge, Debra M., et al. 2007. Dog Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook. Fourth Edition. Wiley

    Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Lotz, Kristina. The Top 5 Signs of Heart Disease in Dogs. www.iheartdogs.com.

Tilley, Larry P., et al. 2008. Manual Of Canine and Feline Cardiology. Fourth Edition. Saunders,

    an imprint of Elsevier Inc., St. Louis, Missouri.

www.petmd.com/top-ten-signs-of-heart-disease-in-dogs

PREVENTION AND CARE FOR HEARTWORM DISEASE IN CAT

PREVENTION AND CARE FOR HEARTWORM DISEASE IN CAT

by Dinda Mahardika, DRH

Worms Dirofillaria immitis Life Cycle

Heartworm disease is a disease that causes dysfunction of the heart due to the manifestation of the worm Dirofillaria immitis through a bit  mosquito Aedes albopictus. This disease has the same distribution in dogs while cats incidence are rarely occured. Male cats are more often infected this disease than female cats. Cats which frequent lived in the outside and in the caged have  high-risk to expose with this disease. Eventhough, it, lived indoor or in the home can be infected this diseases in low rate incidence. 

The Symptoms caused Heartworm disease in cats is are not as specific as in dogs. Some cats  has showed rarely vomit, but in certain cat, it showed respiratory system disorders, such as a cough, often suspected asthma. It also causes sudden respiratory disorder, collapse, and seizure, weight loss and diarrhea. In the some cases, It caused cat which is not able to survive due to the silent symptom.

Many pet owners are not understand and aware that humans can be infected by heartworm disease. The Symptom that is emerged by this disease is the same as in cat, respiratory disorder, especially decreasing lung function. The Prevention which is able to conduct for our pets in order to prevent this diseases is to ensure the cage in clean condition with considering litter box and pedestal replaced regularly . It have to pay attention on cat health by providing worms medication routinely according to vet suggestion

The Prevention can be conducted with appropriate diet,  which is to fulfill the cat’s nutrition based on his age , because the kitten’s nutrition is different from adult. It should pay attention on cat health with checked up and consulted to vet regularly, preserve cage condition, prevent the cat to socialize in the outside and good feeding management. 

Pencegahan dan Perawatan untuk Penyakit “Heartworm Disease” Pada Kucing

Pencegahan dan Perawatan untuk Penyakit “Heartworm Disease” Pada Kucing

oleh : Dinda Mahardika, Drh

Siklus Hidup Cacing Dirofillaria immitis 

Heartworm disease yaitu penyakit yang menyebabkan gangguan fungsi pada jantung akibat manifestasi dari cacing Dirofillaria immitis melalui gigitan nyamuk Aedes albopictus. Penyakit ini mempunyai penyebaran yang sama pada anjing namun pada kucing jarang terjadi. Kucing jantan lebih sering terinfeksi Heartworm disease daripada kucing betina. Kucing yang sering keluar rumah atau jarang dikandangkan mempunyai resiko tinggi terpapar penyakit ini, meskipun begitu kucing yang hidupnya di rumah atau indoor dapat terkena resiko namun lebih rendah presentasinya.

Gejala yang ditimbulkan Heartworm disease pada kucing tidak spesifik seperti pada anjing. Beberapa kucing menunjukkan gejala muntah yang tidak sering namun pada kucing tertentu menunjukkan masalah pada sistem pernapasan, seperti batuk yang sering dicurigai sebagai penyakit asthma. Penyakit ini juga menyebabkan gejala gangguan pernapasan secara tiba-tiba, kolaps, serta kejangbeberapa diantaranya juga menujukkan gejala berat badan yang turun dan diare. Pada beberapa kasus ditemukan, sering terjadi bahwa kucing tidak tertolong akibat gejala yang tidak nampak dari penyakit ini.

Banyak pemilik hewan yang masih belum sadar bahwa heartworm disease juga dapat menular ke manusia. Gejala yang ditimbulkan jika terkena Heartworm disease hampir sama yang terjadi pada kucing yakni gangguan pada sistem pernapasan terutama penurunan fungsi pada paru-paru. Pencegahan yang dapat dilakukan untuk kucing kesayangan agar terhindar dari penyakit ini yaitu kebersihan kandang yang harus selalu dijaga dengan memperhatikan litter box dan alas yang rajin untuk diganti. Selalu peduli dan memperhatikan kesehatan kucing dengan rutin pemberian obat cacing yang tentunya sesuai dengan saran dari dokter hewan.

Pencegahan juga dapat dilakukan dengan diet pakan yang tepat yakni memenuhi kebutuhan nutrisi dari kucing sesuai dengan umurnya, sebab asupan gizi pada kitten berbeda dengan kucing dewasa. Selalu memperhatikan kesehatan kucing dengan cek up atau konsultasi ke dokter hewan, menjaga kebersihan kandang, tidak sering membiarkan kucing sering bersosialisasi di luar rumah, serta manajemen pemberian pakan yang baik.

FOODMANAGEMENT FOR HEART

FOODMANAGEMENT FOR HEART

by Nindya Kusuma, DRH

Sumber : BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Cardiorespiratory Medicine 2^ed 

The heart is a pump made of four chambers: the right atrium and right ventri- cle, and the left atrium and left ventricle. The cardiovascular system serves to deliver oxygen and nutrients to body tissues and to remove the waste products of metabolism. Average increase in risk of heart disease in senior dogs.   

           Heart disease can also be caused due to obesity. Obesity is the accumulation of excessive fat in the body. The main cause of obesity is an excessive calorie intake and less of exercise. If your calorie intake exceeds energy burned by the body then the excess will be stored. Fat circulating in the blood vessels it will make the heart work even harder to pump. In addition, dogs and cats are obesity tend to high blood pressure make the heart has an increased workload because it must pump blood to tissue accretion. This will make the damage to the heart or congestive heart failure.   

          Nutrition for dogs suffering from CHF patient are turning to foods with nutrient intake that 

meets the needs of the heart. Homemade diet with foods containing low levels of sodium. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids reduce the production of cytokines. And nutrients from fish oil with omega 3 fatty acids.      
         The chief source of sodium in the diet is table salt (sodium chloride), which is used for food preservation in most commercially prepared foods. In addition to processed products, foods that have
naturally high sodium content include dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, and egg white.
       Chloride ions account for about two thirds of the total anions present in the extracellular fluid. They are nec- essary for the regulation of normal osmotic pressure, water balance, and acid-base balance in the body.
      Taurine: Unlike cats, dogs are thought to be able to synthesize adequate amounts of taurine endogenously and taurine is not considered to be required in canine diets. Certain breeds of dogs with DCM (e.g., Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Saint Bernard, English Setter and Golden Retrievers) did have low taurine concentrations.  
       Arginine: Based on the findings of endothelial dysfunction in patients with CHF,  L-arginine supplementation is unlikely to have an effect on nitric oxide production because L-arginine has improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation and cardiac output. Arginine supplementation may  provide beneficial effects in patients with CHF.
         Fat: Fat is a source of calories and essential fatty acids and increases the palatability of the  diet. Dogs with congestive heart failure had lower plasma concentration from eicasapentaenoic acid.  Therefore beneficial fatty acid content. 
        Magnesium  Necessary for normal tooth and bone formation and is important to cellular energy transfer and normal muscle and heart function. Magnesium plays an important role in normal cardiovascular function. It is can have deleterious effects in a variety of cardiovascular conditions including hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias.

        Treatment of heart disease with nutritional management. In Veterinary World, Vol.2(12):482-485 Dogs with CHF commonly demonstrate weight loss, termed cardiac cachexia. In a dog with injury or illness, including CHF, amino acids from muscle are the primary source of energy, resulting in loss of lean body mass.

       Various nutritional deficiency have been known to cause various types of heart disease. Including thiamine defesiency, magnesium, vitamin E, selenium, and taurine. Although the causes of malnutrition but it still may cause some heart diseases. Vitamin E deficiensy vitamin E can make muscular dystrophies, cardiac insufficiency, poor coat.

Sumber :

Canine And Feline Nutrition 3^rd Ed. 2001. Elsevier. 

Canine  Nutrition. William D. Cusick. 1997.

Review on Nutritional Management of Cardiac Disorders in Canines. www.veterinaryworld.org

Veterinary World, Vol.2, No.12, Desember 2009.

How to Control Cat “Scratching”

How to Control Cat “Scratching”

By Alvin Febrianth, DRH

            We are usually very annoyed with cat behavior “Scratching”. So many people worried with this cat behavior, because their cat always destroying furniture in the house, especially a chair or sofa. The owners sometimes can only scold their cat without knowing more about this behavior find a way how cat scratching can be controlled.

          Scratching is important and more complex than we realize. We may be under the misconception that scratching is merely cat attempt to sharpen his claws to razor-sharp perfection or that the behavior is based on a willful attempt to get back at you or destroy his surroundings. In truth, scratching serves many purposes. In addition to conditioning the claws, it’s a very effective way for the cat to stretch his back and shoulder muscles especially after wake up.

Scratching is also used as a form of territorial communication or marking behavior. Scent and sweat glands in between the pads of the feet mix to produce a unique smell. When claws are scraped down a surface the scent is deposited and the combination of the mark, discarded claw husks and the smell provides a strong visual and scent message to other cats. Evidence of scratching outdoors can often be found on trees, fence posts, sheds and wooden gates, for example, all strategically important locations in a cat populated area.

Scratching is also used as an emotional release or displacement behavior. When your cat is anxious, happy, excited or frustrated, he can release some of that built-up emotion by scratching. Think of the times you’ve seen your cat scratching on an object after a nap or when you’ve come home from work. You may even have noticed him scratching after an encounter with a companion cat. Cats will often scratch vigorously in the presence of their owners or other cats as a sign of territorial confidence. Things like this usually done by an indoor cat and is often done in a chair or sofa as well as objects made from fabrics such as carpets.

After learning more about the behavior of cats do scratching, we must know what we would do to controlled and reduced these cats behavior scratching in place that should not be. We cannot simply shoo our cats away from the couch, they would return to the place to do scratching. You have to provide a scratching post that meets his needs. Now you can buy a scratch post with various models and sizes. We should also not be wrong to make and put a scratch post. The behavior modification technique begins by making sure you have a scratching post that that meets the qualifications: appealing texture, tall enough, stable, and placed in a good location. In general, the most appealing texture for cats is sisal. The rough texture makes it easy for cats to dig their claws in and get an effective scratch. Carpet-covered posts are too soft and don’t meet the needs of most cats when they’re looking for a place to scratch. Additionally, many cats end up getting their claws caught in the carpet loops. The height of the scratching post should enable the cat to get a full stretch. If the post is too small the cat has to hunch over to use it and that doesn’t allow for a good back and neck stretch. Make sure the tall post is also very stable. A tall post needs a wide base in order to prevent it from toppling over the first time cat leans against it. For the first time introduced a scratch post on our cats, should be placed near the sofa or in the usual places like to scratching. If the cat still scratching in another place immediately moved to scratch the post in order to quickly get used to. Train and changing behavior cat use scratch post requires patience.

In addition to using the scratch post, another method to control our cat scratching behavior is trimming a cat claw. For some people may be afraid to trimming the nails of their cats. Because if we are wrong trimming claw the cat claw becomes bloody and make a cat become scared. Trimming the nails is usually done routinely every 1-2 weeks to keep your cat nails short, thereby reducing the cat scratching behavior. Trimming the claw is different than declawing. Declawing technique requires surgery performed by a veterinarian to remove all parts of the nail is not only cut off the tip of the nail, Veterinarians do this in case of injuries in the cat claw. To reduce scratching behavior this technique is not recommended because it can change the behavior of the cat itself.

Before starting trimming cat claw we have to prepare the equipment first. Which must be prepared, including nail clippers are advised to use a cat nail clipper, the size is smaller than the dogs nail clippers and even some people use human nail clippers but the results are not as good as using cat nail clippers. Other equipment that is cloth or towel to hold our cats if hard handle, cotton and antiseptic useful later if we cut too short so the nail is bleeding.

The first step to cut the nails is making the cat as comfortable as possible so make it easier to cut the nails. If the cat is hard to handle we could use a cloth or towel to hold the body so the cat cannot move freely. It recommended assisted by others to hold our cat if it cannot handle by yourself. Now that you're in position and the cats in position, put the claw in the right position, too. Take a paw in your hand and use your thumb and pointer finger to gently press down on the top and bottom of the paw on the joint just behind the claw. Don't get too close to the pink part of the nail where blood vessels and nerve endings lie. Just like the pink part of a human fingernail, the quick is very sensitive; cutting into this area will likely cause bleeding and pain. In such case the bleeding can be stopped by pressing the nails with cotton until it stop, after that it may be given antiseptic. Immediately take it to the vet if blood coming out a lot and cannot stop. All nails should be cut at a time so that our cat nails grow simultaneously.

Consult with your vet to get more information about the behavior of scratching, train a cat to use the scratch post and learn the correct technique to trimming cat claw. Remember behavior of cat scratching cannot be eliminated but we can control it.