New look, same great formulations! Dr Mercola's supplements for cats and dogs have been rebranded to Bark & Whiskers™.
Net Weight: 90g (3.17 oz ) | 90 scoops
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Heart conditions have become a top concern among veterinarians, ranking as the most common cause of sudden death in cats and the second most common cause of death among dogs. Hidden cardiovascular concerns can be present at birth or develop slowly as part of the normal ageing process.
The good news is, that you can take steps right now to help support your pets’ heart health. Make sure your pets are getting the heart-supporting active ingredients they need by providing them with human-grade antioxidants, amino acids and other beneficial plant compounds that might not be present in sufficient quantities in common pet foods.
Bark & Whiskers™ Heart Health contains 12 active ingredients, including taurine, glycine and L-carnitine, in a pet-friendly organic cheddar cheese base to support cardiovascular health.
This unique formula was designed to support optimal heart health in these groups of cats and dogs:
New look, same great formulations! Dr Mercola's supplements for cats and dogs have been rebranded to Bark & Whiskers™.
Net Weight: 90g (3.17 oz ) | 90 scoops
Heart conditions have become a top concern among veterinarians, ranking as the most common cause of sudden death in cats and the second most common cause of death among dogs. Hidden cardiovascular concerns can be present at birth or develop slowly as part of the normal ageing process.
The good news is, that you can take steps right now to help support your pets’ heart health. Make sure your pets are getting the heart-supporting active ingredients they need by providing them with human-grade antioxidants, amino acids and other beneficial plant compounds that might not be present in sufficient quantities in common pet foods.
Bark & Whiskers™ Heart Health contains 12 active ingredients, including taurine, glycine and L-carnitine, in a pet-friendly organic cheddar cheese base to support cardiovascular health.
This unique formula was designed to support optimal heart health in these groups of cats and dogs:
Administer Heart Health orally, once per day.
Cats (2+ lbs) = 0.5 g (½ scoop)
Toy Breed Dogs (up to 14 lbs) = 1 g (1 scoop)
Small Breed Dogs (15 to 29 lbs) = 1.5 g (1½ scoops)
Medium Breed Dogs (30 to 49 lbs) = 2 g (2 scoops)
Large Breed Dogs (50 to 79 lbs) = 2.5 g (2½ scoops)
Giant Breed Dogs (80+ lbs) = 3.5 g (3½ scoops)
Heart Health is easy to store as the product does not require refrigeration or other special storage.
For use in cats and dogs only. Recommended to help support cardiovascular health.
Contains human-grade antioxidants, amino acids and other beneficial ingredients that many dogs and cats need for cardiovascular health.
12 Active ingredients:
Inactive Ingredient: Certified Organic Cheddar Cheese Powder (Organic Dried Cultured Milk, Organic Salt)
Help protect your pet’s
heart against the potential
effects of ageing.
In the USA, it's the top cause of
sudden cat deaths and the second
leading cause of death in dogs.
Bark & Whiskers™ Heart Health contains 12 active ingredients that support your pet’s heart health with pet-friendly organic cheddar cheese.
These human-grade antioxidants, amino acids and other beneficial ingredients are excellent for cardiovascular health.
1. Rutin (from the flower bud of Sophora japonica, or Japanese Pagoda tree)
A bioflavonoid, or plant pigment, with powerful antioxidant properties, yellow-coloured rutin supports blood vessel health and blood circulation.
2. Taurine
An amino acid found primarily in muscle meat, concentrations are highest in your pet’s heart, muscles, brain and retina. The main source of taurine for your pets is their diet. Taurine supports cardiovascular, eye and immune health.
3. Glycine
This amino acid acts as a precursor for key antioxidants such as glutathione and creatine and supports cardiovascular health and overall well-being of animals and humans.
4. Organic Hawthorn Berry Fruit
Acting as an antioxidant bioflavonoid, hawthorn supports optimal circulation to the ventricles of the heart. Multiple studies show it promotes exercise tolerance and supports overall cardiovascular health in dogs and cats.
5. D-Ribose
A sugar molecule that’s part of your pets’ DNA and an important component of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), cells’ primary energy source, D-ribose supports heart function and energy production in their heart muscle.
6. Trimethylglycine (TMG)
A plant compound also known as betaine, TMG may help your pets’ cells adapt to stress and support their energy production. TMG also supports healthy blood flow and blood vessel health.
7. L-Carnitine
Comprised of the amino acids lysine and methionine, L-carnitine is produced in your pet’s liver and kidneys and stored in heart, brain and skeletal muscle tissues. It plays a key role in fat metabolism, allowing fat to be utilised for energy production for heart function.
8. Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) (from Decaffeinated Green Tea Leaf Extract)
A polyphenolic component of green tea with the caffeine removed, EGCG offers powerful antioxidant benefits. It’s easily absorbed into all body tissues to support healthy cells.
9. Pomegranate Fruit Extract
This extract contains flavonoids, tannins and lignans, polyphenols with strong antioxidant and protective qualities to support your pet’s cell and gut health.
10. d-Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E from non-GMO sunflower)
The most active form of vitamin E, d-alpha tocopherol functions as a potent antioxidant that helps protect your pet’s heart cells and tissues against oxidative stress. Plus, it supports circulation and healthy red blood cell walls.
11. Pine Bark Extract
From the bark of Pinus radiata, this pine bark is rich in total phenols and naturally occurring chemicals called proanthocyanidins. The extract acts as a powerful antioxidant to support heart tissue and muscle health.
12. Niacin
Converted to the active form niacinamide by intestinal bacteria, niacin supports healthy blood levels of lipoproteins, such as LDL, and triglycerides.
All of these carefully selected ingredients work together to support your pet’s optimal heart function and overall cardiovascular health.
And to ensure your cat or dog will look forward to this exceptional Heart Health formula, Bark & Whiskers has blended the active ingredients into a delicious base of Certified Organic Cheddar Cheese powder.
The good news is that, in spite of rising trends of health concerns, there are things you can do to support your pets’ optimal heart health as they age.
One of the biggest factors affecting your pets’ cellular health at every level is oxidative stress caused by excess free radicals. Free radicals can cause damage to heart cells and tissues.
Here’s how it happens…
Unstable free radical molecules with uneven numbers of electrons travel around your pet's body seeking stable molecules to bond with. When a free radical finds a stable molecule, it is able to take that extra electron and stabilise itself.
However, in the process, it creates a new unstable molecule. As this process is repeated over and over, free radicals multiply, resulting in oxidative stress.
Antioxidants have a neutralising effect on free radicals, so they help protect your pets’ hearts and other organs from the oxidative stress that can lead to damage.
Feeding your pets antioxidants is like sending reinforcements into the battle against free radical damage.
Studies show that using a combination of antioxidant compounds with complementary effects is more effective at supporting heart health than using just a single antioxidant compound.
That awareness led Dr Becker and her team to formulate Bark & Whiskers™ Heart Health, a unique blend of ingredients to support cardiovascular health. It includes:
Veterinarians have been seeing a rise in heart conditions among their patients – and it has them concerned.
The below stats are based on figures from the USA.
Heart issues are now the most common cause of sudden death in cats and the second most common cause of death in dogs.
Dogs as young as five years old can be affected, and the reason for concern increases dramatically with an animal’s age. Up to 75% of senior dogs have some type of heart condition.
Some estimates put the percentage of cats in the USA with a heart condition at around 15%.
While finding the cause of the rise in heart issues isn’t as simple as we'd like, vets have identified two major contributors:
So, what can you do to help your pet stay healthy?
Act now, and provide reinforcements to help protect your pet's heart and health from possible future problems.
Certain breeds are more susceptible to heart conditions at an earlier age, but the reality is that any dog or cat can experience changes that develop naturally with age.
With congenital heart conditions, genetics are mostly to blame. Inherited cardiac issues affect both small and large dog breeds. Several dog breeds more likely to be impacted by genetic heart conditions include:
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Dachshunds
Miniature and Toy Poodles
Doberman Pinschers
Boxers
Golden Retrievers
Miniature Schnauzers
A full 50% of Cavaliers have detectable heart issues by age five. Dobermans, especially males, should be screened twice yearly starting at age four for heart conditions. All of the breeds in the above list should be monitored closely for heart issues, starting at an early age.
Several breeds of cats are also genetically predisposed to heart conditions:
Maine Coon
American Shorthair
British Shorthair
Persians
Siamese
As you can see, some very popular cat breeds are included in this group. That may be why cats more than dogs tend to exhibit signs of heart conditions during their lifetimes.
This great product - Heart Health for Cats and Dogs is provided via our exclusive partner, Bark & Whiskers, where Dr Karen Becker, one of the most followed wellness and integrative veterinarians in the world, shares the most up-to-date information on species-appropriate nutrition and care.
Just like Furchild, she believes that the food and lifestyle choices you make for your pets form the foundation of their health and longevity.
Moreover, Dr Becker is also the first veterinarian to give a TEDx Talk on species-appropriate nutrition.
She enjoys empowering pet parents and helping them become knowledgeable advocates for their pets’ well-being. Instead of simply addressing the symptoms, Dr Becker promotes the use of functional medicine, which involves making dietary and lifestyle choices to help pets thrive and prevent illness.
And in 2021, she also co-authored with pet influencer, Rodney Habib, to publish their book - The Forever Dog, which became the first-ever No.1 New York Times best-selling book about intentionally creating canine well-being.
To understand how to keep your pets’ hearts healthy, it’s important to know how their hearts work, and how problems develop. From there, you can understand what is needed to give them the best support possible.
Cats’ and dogs’ hearts are divided into four functional parts. Those parts are the:
Various heart conditions, either inherited or acquired, can affect any or all of these components.
Common heart concerns that can affect cats and dogs include:
Many of the changes develop slowly, over months and years, with few outward signs of declining heart function.
While some heart concerns may be preventable, some aren’t.
But, by supporting your pet’s heart health with smart lifestyle choices, you may be able to help slow the progression of changes and limit their long-term effects.
Because cats are such masters at concealing health issues, a heart concern often remains hidden until it becomes a crisis. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. In the wild, any type of weakness makes an animal stand out from its predators.
On the outside, your cats may appear healthy.
If a heart issue is brewing, you’re unlikely to know until they begin to show more advanced signs. All you may notice at first is a decreased appetite, or maybe your cats sleeping or hiding more. Issues often arise around middle age.
So, what can you do to support your cats' heart health and function?
Most importantly, feed your cats a human-grade, meat-based diet, without grains and unnecessary carbohydrates, like Furchild Meals.
While there are a multitude of reasons to feed meat and avoid carbs, one of the most important reasons lies in an essential amino acid that is crucial for heart health…
Taurine. Critical not only for heart health, it also supports brain health, eye function, digestive health and nerve growth.
While most mammals are able to make their own taurine from other amino acids, cats’ ability to do this is limited, so your cats require large amounts of it in their diets. Fresh food diets rich in organ and muscle meats contain abundant, naturally occurring taurine.
While taurine is routinely added to commercial cat food, it’s not always in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of cats. Cats can easily become taurine deficient if they don’t get enough in their diets.
There are some types of cat food that, while they meet AAFCO nutritional requirements, are nonetheless low in taurine. These include dry cat food (kibble and biscuits) and semi-moist pouched food.
Dr Becker strongly recommends that you avoid feeding your cats these types of foods. She also recommends providing extra taurine if your cats may be at risk for heart concerns.
All of Furchild Meals for cats include additional taurine in their formulations to ensure your cats are consuming optimal levels for their best heart health.
Researchers have made an interesting discovery in recent years – a dog's cardiovascular system is very similar to the human cardiovascular system.
One area in which they are strikingly similar is the significant role diet plays in heart health.
For humans, processed junk food with excessive carbohydrates is a known factor for heart concern risk.
For dogs and cats, it’s not much different…
Biologically inappropriate, highly processed pet food (kibble and biscuits) with too many unnecessary carbs is the equivalent of junk food for your pets – and it may also raise their risk for heart issues.
The sad truth is that far too many dogs and cats are eating a junk food diet their entire lives.
Most dry pet food, or kibble, is a blend of poor-quality meats, byproducts and feed-grade vitamins and minerals. In addition, most kibble contains high-glycemic, genetically engineered (GE) corn, wheat, rice or potato.
The pet food industry wants you to believe that carbohydrates are not only good for your pet but also that they’re an “essential nutrient.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
Grains and carbohydrates have no place in a carnivore’s diet – our pets weren’t designed to digest them, and they can cause unhealthy spikes in your pet’s insulin, glucagon and cortisol throughout the day.
Plus, if your pets are getting a significant amount of calories from carbs instead of from meat, it can further lower their intake of taurine.
Because carnivores like your dogs or cats have no dietary need for grains, and their digestive system can’t even handle them properly, it would be a better choice to feed them a grain-free diet, right?
Well, here’s what we’ve learned about commercial grain-free diets.
Twenty years ago, this option emerged as an alternative to the corn, rice and wheat that are widely used in pet foods.
Initially, some veterinarians thought the switch to grain-free might be a good thing. However, within a few years, they started noticing some troubling changes in their patients’ health.
Many pet owners don’t realise it, but grain-free processed food isn’t carbohydrate-free or starch-free. In fact, grain-free pet foods are high in starch and some contain even more carbs than regular grain-based pet food.
Not only are veterinarians seeing weight gain and rising insulin levels in their patients consuming alternative grain-free diets, but they are also seeing a rise in cardiac issues.
Whether they’re connected hasn’t been established. However, there is the potential that some of the ingredients in grain-free kibble and biscuits may be creating dietary deficiencies – specifically in taurine and carnitine, two amino acids found primarily in muscle tissue.
Some researchers think the high carbs in grain-free pet food may deplete taurine levels, or possibly make the nutrient less bioavailable or useable.
Plus, the high-heat extrusion process used to make kibble and biscuits creates byproducts that can cause a chemical reaction between the amino acids and carbs in the food. This may degrade the taurine and alter your pet’s microbiome, or gut bacteria.
Up until 20 years ago, pet food included primarily rice, wheat or corn. With the advent of grain-free food, manufacturers started replacing grains with peas, lentils, tapioca, garbanzos (chickpeas) other beans, and white potatoes.
In essence, pet food became even more biologically inappropriate.
Not only are legumes and similar starches very high in carbohydrates but they’re also added to pet food in place of meat to boost protein levels. However, peas, beans, lentils and white potatoes are not acceptable substitutes for meat.
They are missing the amino acids your pets need for their cardiovascular health, putting their heart at risk.
That’s not the only problem… Grain-free foods contain anti-nutrients, such as lectins and phytates, that can interfere with the absorption of taurine and other important nutrients.
Another ingredient that shouldn’t be in your pet’s food is beet pulp. This unnecessary filler binds with bile acids in the small intestine, increasing their excretion. Because bile acids are needed to recycle taurine, beet pulp can lower your pet’s total body taurine levels.
In summary, there are three factors that make commercial grain-free diets inappropriate for your pets, and potentially put their heart health at risk:
The best food you can provide your pet is a fresh, nutritionally balanced, grain-free, species-appropriate diet, like Furchild Meals. Fresh, living foods have an abundance of enzymes, fragile fatty acids, phytonutrients and amino acids that are lost with any type of processing.
Because taurine is so important for cats’ and dogs’ overall health, Dr Becker recommends supplementing all pets with high-taurine foods or extra taurine, no matter what type of food you feed your pets.