Heart Supplements for Dogs
Can a supplement help your dog’s heart? It is the right question to ask. The honest answer: no supplement cures or treats heart disease, but a handful of named nutrients have defined roles in heart nutrition and may support normal heart function as part of a veterinarian-guided plan.
This page puts six dog heart supplements side by side on what their labels actually print, explains what a veterinary cardiologist looks for, and answers the questions owners ask most: safety with heart medication, murmurs, and what to keep away from a dog with a weak heart.
Quick answer
Supplements never replace prescribed heart medication or a veterinary diagnosis. The most reasonable heart-support ingredients are taurine, L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, L-arginine and omega-3 fatty acids, and they belong in a vet-guided plan. The best product is the one that prints its amounts per serving, carries a quality seal, comes in a form your dog will take every day, and makes no promise to treat, cure, reverse or prevent anything.
The ingredients that matter
| Ingredient | Role in heart nutrition | What to look for on a label |
|---|---|---|
| Taurine | An amino acid that supports normal heart-muscle function; the nutrient veterinarians test for when a deficiency is suspected. More on taurine | A stated amount in milligrams per serving. |
| L-Carnitine | Supports normal energy metabolism in the heart muscle. | A stated amount; “L-carnitine” or “L-carnitine HCl”, not a blend total. |
| Coenzyme Q10 | A naturally occurring antioxidant that supports normal energy production in heart cells. | A stated amount; CoQ10 is costly, so a blend that hides it usually contains little. |
| L-Arginine | Supports normal blood-vessel tone and healthy circulation. | A stated amount. |
| Omega-3s (EPA/DHA) | Fatty acids from fish or green-lipped mussel that support normal cardiovascular health and a healthy inflammatory response. | EPA and DHA in milligrams, not just “fish oil”. |
| Hawthorn | A traditional cardiac herb used in some products; evidence in dogs is limited, and it should not be combined with heart medications unless your vet approves it. | Whether it is present at all, and whether your vet is comfortable with it. |
| Vitamin E and other antioxidants | Included in several formulas in small amounts to support normal cell protection. | Units vary (mg or IU); treat it as a supporting ingredient, not the reason to buy. |
A few notes a cardiologist would add:
- Taurine matters most when a dog’s diet is the problem: dogs on home-cooked, vegetarian or some boutique diets can run low, and the answer is a blood test and a diet conversation with your vet, not a guess.
- L-carnitine and CoQ10 are the two ingredients most often named for the heart muscle’s energy supply, and both are also the ones most often hidden inside a “proprietary blend” where you cannot see the amount.
- Omega-3s are the one group where the source and the EPA/DHA figures matter more than the brand name.
- Hawthorn is the ingredient to raise with your vet before you buy, because it is the one most likely to overlap with prescription heart medication.
Six heart supplements for dogs compared, label to label
The table lists what each maker prints on its own product page: the form, the serving, and the amount of each core heart nutrient per serving (taurine, L-carnitine, CoQ10, L-arginine and omega-3), plus whether hawthorn is in the formula. Where a maker prints no amount, the table says so, because that absence is itself something to know. The six products are listed alphabetically by product name.
Prices are the prices each maker showed on October 1, 2026, and the price per day is for a 30-pound dog at the label serving; prices change, so check before you buy. This is a comparison of labels, not of results: we make no claim about what any of these products does for a disease, ours included.
| Product and maker | Form; serving for a 30 lb dog | Heart nutrients per serving, as printed | Omega-3 and hawthorn | Quality statements on the page | Price; price per day for 30 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiac Support for Dogs and Cats Fera Pets | Salmon-flavored powder in a vegan capsule; 2 capsules a day for 26 to 50 lb | Taurine 250 mg per capsule (500 mg a day) L-carnitine 200 mg (400 mg a day) CoQ10 50 mg (100 mg a day) L-arginine: not on the label | Omega-3: not on the label (fish oil and algae oil sold separately) Hawthorn: 50 mg organic hawthorn berry per capsule (100 mg a day) | NASC certified Third-party tested; GMP Made in the USA; “vet created” | $29.95 for 60 capsules, $44.95 for 120 (the maker’s product data on Oct 1, 2026) $1.00 a day at the 60-count, $0.75 at the 120-count |
| Cardio Bites Zesty Paws | Salmon soft chew; the feeding guide is published as an image, so the serving per weight is not stated in text | Taurine, L-carnitine and CoQ10 sit inside a 1,140 mg “Proprietary Heart Health Blend” (with hawthorn and folic acid); no individual amounts L-arginine 200 mg | Omega-3: fish oil (AlaskOmega), no EPA or DHA figure printed Hawthorn: inside the 1,140 mg blend, no individual amount | NASC certified Made in the USA B Corp | $36.97 for 90 chews (shown as a sale price, with no regular price given) Price per day cannot be computed without a serving statement |
| CardioChew Dr. Fossum’s Pet Care | Bacon soft chew, 5 g; half a chew per 15 lb twice daily, so 2 chews a day | Taurine 125 mg per chew (250 mg a day) L-carnitine HCl 125 mg (250 mg a day) CoQ10 13.4 mg (26.8 mg a day) L-arginine 33.3 mg (66.6 mg a day) | Omega-3: EPA 136 mg + DHA 68 mg per chew from fish oil, plus green-lipped mussel oil 10 mg per chew (EPA 272 mg + DHA 136 mg a day) Hawthorn: none | NASC member Made in the USA Certificate of analysis published on our COA page Formulated with a board-certified veterinary cardiologist | $59.99 for 60 chews ($44.99 on sale on Oct 1, 2026) $2.00 a day at list, $1.50 on sale |
| Extra Strength Healthy Heart for Dogs VetriScience | Chew; 1 chew per 30 lb daily | Taurine, L-carnitine, CoQ10 and L-arginine named, amounts not printed | Omega-3: not in this product Hawthorn: hawthorn berry extract named, amount not printed; also berberine | NASC quality certified Made in the USA SQF-certified facility | $33.50 (out of stock on Oct 1, 2026) Chew count not printed, so no price per day |
| Hearty-Heart NHV Natural Pet | Herbal liquid; 1 ml twice daily for 16 to 30 lb | None of taurine, L-carnitine, CoQ10 or L-arginine on the label | Omega-3: not on the label Hawthorn: hawthorn berries in a nine-herb blend (with hops, valerian, motherwort, mistletoe and others), printed as “200mg Dry Equivalent”, no per-herb amount | Made in Canada NASC seal, third-party testing and COA: not stated on the page | $46.95 for 100 ml About $0.94 a day at 2 ml |
| Omega Healthy Heart, formerly Cardio Strength VetriScience | Capsule; 1 capsule per 30 lb daily | Taurine, L-carnitine and CoQ10 named, amounts not printed L-arginine: not in this product | Omega-3: “EPA and GLA” named, no EPA or DHA figure printed Hawthorn: not in this product | NASC quality certified Made in the USA SQF-certified facility | $33.50 Capsule count not printed on the page, so no price per day |
How to read the table. Four things stand out once the labels sit side by side:
- Amounts. Only two of the six makers print an amount for every heart nutrient they name (Fera Pets and Dr. Fossum’s). Zesty Paws prints two (L-arginine 200 mg and vitamin E 4 mg) and folds taurine, L-carnitine, CoQ10, hawthorn and folic acid into one blend figure, and the other three print names or a blend total, not individual amounts. For those, you are trusting a name on a list.
- Hawthorn. Four products carry it and two do not. If your dog takes heart medication, that column is the one to show your vet.
- Omega-3s. Only one product prints EPA and DHA in milligrams. Two name fish oil or EPA without an amount, and three have no omega-3 on the label at all.
- Serving size is where the per-day arithmetic hides: a product dosed per 30 pounds and a product dosed per 15 pounds can look alike on the label and differ by half at the bowl.
The herbal product is a different category from the nutrient formulas; it shares only hawthorn with them and contains sedative herbs (valerian, hops) that deserve a conversation with your vet on their own.
Two other formulas you may see in roundups are not in the table on purpose: Thorne Vet’s heart formula is mid-rebrand (the maker’s page now redirects to a new company name), and NOW Pets’ cardiovascular powder could only be read on retailer pages, not the maker’s; we only compare labels we could read at the source.
VetriScience has also renamed its cardio range (its own page says “Cardio Strength is now Omega Healthy Heart”), so an older article’s product list may no longer match the shelf.
What to look for in a product
- Named, meaningful ingredients at stated amounts (like the ones above), per serving, not a vague “proprietary blend” total.
- Who formulated it. A product developed with a board-certified cardiologist’s input is a meaningful quality signal; “vet formulated” with no name is a weaker one.
- Quality assurance: an NASC seal, made in a reputable facility, and a certificate of analysis you can actually open.
- A form your dog will reliably take. A chew is often easier than a pill your dog refuses, and a daily product only works if it is given daily.
- No disease promises on the label or the page. A product that says it treats, manages or reverses a heart condition is making a drug claim it cannot support; that is a red flag about the company, not a reason to buy.
Who a heart supplement is for, and who should skip it
- Reasonable candidates: senior dogs; breeds your vet considers predisposed to heart conditions; dogs on home-cooked, vegetarian or unusual diets where taurine intake is uncertain; and any dog whose veterinarian has suggested daily heart-support nutrition as part of the plan.
- Ask your vet first: dogs on any heart medication; dogs with kidney disease or other conditions where minerals and fluids are being managed; dogs on blood thinners or with bleeding disorders, especially before hawthorn or high-dose omega-3s; pregnant or breeding dogs (most labels, ours included, say safe use has not been proven).
- Skip or choose differently: dogs with a shellfish allergy should avoid green-lipped mussel formulas; cats on an iodine-restricted diet should not be given a dog-and-cat formula that contains iodine; and a healthy young dog on a complete, balanced diet usually does not need one at all.
Are heart supplements safe with heart medication?
Generally these nutrients are well tolerated, but if your dog is on heart medication, always check with your veterinarian before adding anything. The goal is to complement the medical plan, and your vet can confirm there are no interactions for your dog.
The Tufts HeartSmart nutrition guide says the same thing in one sentence: “Be sure to talk to your veterinarian before starting any supplement as there can be interactions with heart medications or certain supplements may be too risky to use.” Herbs are where the overlap is most likely, so a product that contains hawthorn or sedative herbs is the one to bring to that conversation.
What not to give a dog with congestive heart failure
This is your veterinarian’s call, because it depends on the dog’s medications and stage. The list most cardiology services agree on:
- Salty foods and treats (deli meat, cheese, jerky, salted snacks, many table scraps), because sodium makes the body hold water that a failing heart cannot handle.
- “Natural diuretic” or herbal products the vet has not cleared, because they can overlap with prescribed diuretics and heart drugs.
- Any supplement sold as a replacement for medication.
- Sudden diet changes made without a plan, since appetite and weight are watched closely in heart failure.
If you want the longer version, read our heart-healthy diet guide and the congestive heart failure page, and bring the questions to your vet.
How to improve your dog’s heart health
The boring answers are the ones that count:
- Keep your dog lean.
- Give daily exercise suited to the dog’s age and condition.
- Keep the teeth clean.
- Feed a complete and balanced diet, and ask your vet about the diet if it is grain-free, boutique or home-cooked.
- Get a yearly exam where someone listens to the heart with a stethoscope, twice a year for seniors and predisposed breeds.
Supplements sit at the end of that list, not the start. If your dog’s breed is one your vet screens for heart conditions, ask what age screening should begin.
Is there a best supplement for a dog with a heart murmur?
No supplement treats a murmur, and the question has a step before it. A murmur is a sound, not a diagnosis: it has a grade, and it has a cause that only an exam and usually an echocardiogram can name. What happens next depends entirely on that cause, which is why the first move is the veterinarian, not the supplement aisle.
Once the plan exists, if your vet is open to heart-support nutrition alongside it, the ingredients and label checks above are what to look for. Our heart murmur guide explains the grades and what each one tends to mean.
What natural medicines can help my dog’s heart?
There is no natural medicine that treats heart disease in dogs; if there were, cardiologists would prescribe it. What people usually mean by the phrase splits into two groups:
- Nutrients with a defined role in heart nutrition (taurine, L-carnitine, CoQ10, L-arginine, omega-3s), which can support normal function alongside a vet’s plan.
- Herbs sold for the heart (hawthorn most often, sometimes blends with valerian, hops or motherwort), which carry the real interaction questions and the thinnest dog evidence.
Treat anything marketed as a “remedy” for a heart condition as a reason to be more careful, not less.
A cardiologist-formulated option: CardioChew
Dr. Fossum’s CardioChew was formulated with veterinary cardiologist Dr. Matthew Miller, DACVIM (Cardiology). It combines taurine, L-carnitine, L-arginine, coenzyme Q10, fish-oil EPA and DHA, and green-lipped mussel oil in a bacon-flavored soft chew dosed by weight, to support normal heart and circulatory function.
It uses named nutrients at printed amounts rather than a proprietary blend, and omega-3s rather than hawthorn, a formulation choice: nutrients with defined roles in heart nutrition instead of an herb with limited dog data and open questions about combining it with heart medication. CardioChew supports a healthy heart; it is not a treatment for heart disease and is meant to work alongside your veterinarian’s care.
| CardioChew at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Form | Bacon-flavored soft chew, 5 g |
| Serving | Half a chew per 15 lb of body weight, twice daily (a 30 lb dog: one chew twice a day) |
| Actives per chew, as printed | EPA 136 mg; DHA 68 mg; L-carnitine HCl 125 mg; taurine 125 mg; L-arginine 33.3 mg; N,N-dimethylglycine HCl 16.7 mg; coenzyme Q10 13.4 mg; green-lipped mussel oil 10 mg; thiamine 9.1 mg; astaxanthin 1.5 mg; folic acid 0.3 mg; magnesium sulfate 0.2 mg; potassium iodide 0.03 mg; vitamin E 0.0067 mg |
| Container and price | 60 chews; $59.99 list, $44.99 on sale on October 1, 2026; a 30 lb dog uses a container in 30 days ($2.00 a day at list, $1.50 on sale) |
| Quality | NASC member; made in the USA; certificate of analysis published on our COA page |
| Formulated with | Dr. Matthew Miller, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) |
| Good to know | Contains shellfish (green-lipped mussel); for dogs and cats, but not for cats on an iodine-restricted diet; give with food; safe use in pregnant or breeding animals has not been proven |
| Goes well with | The taurine guide if diet is the question, and the heart-healthy diet guide |
When to see your veterinarian
A supplement is not a substitute for a diagnosis. If your dog has a murmur, a cough, breathing changes, tiring on walks, or any sign of heart trouble, see your vet, and ask whether daily heart-support nutrition is a sensible addition to your dog’s plan.
References and label sources
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, HeartSmart: Nutrition for pets with heart disease. The nutrients discussed above, sodium, and the caution on supplements and heart medications.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Investigation into potential link between certain diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (last updated December 23, 2022). Why “ask your vet about the diet” is on this page.
- World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). Global nutrition guidelines and toolkit.
- National Animal Supplement Council (NASC). nasc.cc.
- Merck Veterinary Manual (MSD Manual). Heart disease and heart failure in dogs.
- Label sources for the comparison, all read on October 1, 2026, on each maker’s own product page, in table order: Fera Pets Cardiac Support; Zesty Paws Cardio Bites; CardioChew; VetriScience Extra Strength Healthy Heart; NHV Hearty-Heart; VetriScience Omega Healthy Heart. Makers change labels and prices; if you spot a change, tell us and we will update the table.
Frequently asked questions
Do heart supplements work for dogs?
They can support normal heart function; they do not treat or cure heart disease. Taurine and omega-3s are the two ingredients most studied in dogs, and that research is about nutrition and normal function, not about treating disease. All of them belong alongside veterinary care.
What is the best heart supplement for dogs?
The one that prints its amounts per serving for named ingredients (taurine, CoQ10, L-carnitine, L-arginine, omega-3s), carries quality assurance like an NASC seal and a certificate of analysis, was formulated with a cardiologist’s input, and comes in a form your dog will take every day. The comparison table above shows which products meet those tests on their own labels; two of the six, Fera Pets and Dr. Fossum’s, print an amount for every nutrient they name.
My dog has a heart murmur. Is there a supplement for that?
No supplement treats a murmur. A murmur is a sound with a grade and a cause, and the plan depends on the cause, so start with your veterinarian. If your vet is open to heart-support nutrition alongside that plan, use the label checks above to choose one.
Can I give a heart supplement with my dog’s heart medication?
Usually yes, but check with your veterinarian first to confirm there are no interactions for your dog’s specific medications. Products with hawthorn or other herbs are the ones most worth asking about.
Does my dog need a heart supplement?
A healthy dog on a complete diet may not. Older dogs, predisposed breeds, dogs on unusual diets, or dogs whose vet has suggested heart-support nutrition are the usual candidates.
Does my dog need taurine?
Most dogs on a complete, balanced commercial diet get what they need. Dogs on home-cooked, vegetarian or some boutique diets can run low, and the way to know is a blood test ordered by your vet, not a guess. Our taurine guide covers the testing and the diet questions.
Is CoQ10 good for dogs?
Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring antioxidant with a defined role in energy production in heart cells, and it is a common ingredient in dog heart supplements. Look for a product that prints the amount; CoQ10 is expensive, which is why it is so often hidden inside a blend. Ask your vet whether it fits your dog’s plan.
Can I just give fish oil instead?
Fish oil covers only the omega-3 part of the list, and only if the EPA and DHA amounts are known; it does not supply taurine, L-carnitine, CoQ10 or L-arginine. If omega-3s are the only thing your vet wants added, a plain fish oil with printed EPA/DHA figures is a reasonable choice; ask your vet for the dose.
What should I expect after starting a heart supplement?
Nothing you can see, and that is honest. These nutrients support normal function; they are not medications and they do not produce a visible change. The measure of whether your dog’s plan is working is your veterinarian’s rechecks, not the supplement.
What ingredients should a dog heart supplement have?
Taurine, L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, L-arginine, and omega-3 fatty acids are the core heart-support nutrients to look for, each with a printed amount per serving.
Can a supplement replace my dog’s heart medication?
No. A supplement supports normal heart function. It does not treat heart disease and cannot replace prescribed medication. Give it alongside your vet’s plan, not instead of it.
Is a heart supplement safe with pimobendan, furosemide, or other heart drugs?
These nutrients are generally well tolerated, but always confirm with your vet before adding anything for a dog on heart medication so they can check that it fits the plan.
What do NASC and a COA mean?
NASC is a quality-seal program for animal supplements, and a certificate of analysis (COA) shows a batch was tested. Both are signs of a brand that takes quality seriously.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. CardioChew is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This guide is educational and not a substitute for veterinary care. Competitor label facts and prices were read on their makers’ pages on October 1, 2026, and may have changed since.
This guide is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or care. If your dog has signs of heart trouble, talk to your veterinarian.