VetriScience Omega Healthy Heart Easy-Open Capsules, Cardio Strength Taurine and Omega-3 Supplement for Dogs & Cats, Heart Support Supplement, 90 Count

If you're a cat owner, you're probably looking into this because your cat was just diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), probably with congestive heart failure (CHF). You're devastated. And you're probably desperate for info. I'll describe our experience here, including the role of VetriScience Labs Cardio Strength (later in this review). It's a bit of a long story, but bare with me. Hopefully the info will help you and your cat.Okay, so our 10-year-old cat, Melvin, was diagnosed with HCM with CHF in mid-December of 2016. Very grim diagnosis based on echocardiogram. He was in bad shape. After careful research and vet-guided experimentation, his regimen has been prescribed doses of furosemide (Lasix) and diltiazem twice a day (morning and night). It's crucial to give these regularly, and luckily they are not expensive. We get ours at a regular (human) pharmacy. We also give him 1/4 of a non-generic 81mg "low dose" aspirin every other day (in the morning). We have found that the name brand low-dose aspirin is easier to cut with a pill cutter. If you don't have a pill cutter, get one along with some 7-day pill organizers (a clear organizer for morning and a darker-colored one for night). Cutters and organizers are available on Amazon. You'll be doing a lot of cutting and pill organizing with an HCM/CHF cat.Anyway, on days where Melvin gets Lasix, diltiazem, AND aspirin, they are ALL able to fit in a size 4 clear empty gel capsule (also available on Amazon). We use the gel caps to give all medications, actually, because he has no trouble swallowing the size 4 caps (might be able to get away with size 3--just a tad bigger), and they will alleviate the bitter taste problem with ANY medication. We administer all pills with a pet pill gun (also available on Amazon). The pill gun is a godsend. You just confidently and quickly stick it back in your pet's mouth (wrap the cat in a towel if need be) and jam down the plunger. Boom! He doesn't even care about getting pills anymore. Quick and easy. No stress. We were unable to give pills before we discovered the empty gel caps trick and pill gun.Okay...so the prescribed medicine regimen was working well, but he was still having some breathing issues. This Cardio Strength supplement took us the rest of the way it seems. This is a BIG supplement pill. Luckily Melvin will take it when you sprinkle it on his food and mix it in. I wouldn't try to give this one with a pill gun. It's really big. So hopefully your cat will take it sprinkled on wet food. Otherwise you might need to get creative--maybe by splitting up the supplement into smaller gel caps and giving a couple of times a day. We just sprinkle one whole capsule over Melvin's food, IAMS MaxCal, which is a prescription diet (available through Amazon and elsewhere). It has a low sodium content, which is important.Mel is also an indoor-outdoor cat, and research has shown that the stress of not being able to go outside can really take a tool on an HCM cat. Our solution was to track him in real-time with the Pawtrack GPS collar designed specifically for cats (not yet available on Amazon, but it SHOULD BE). It's an incredible bit of technology at a very reasonable price. Cats with HCM are at risk of developing hind leg paralysis from thromboembolism. The aspirin is used to prevent this, but it's no guarantee. So, with Pawtrack we can track Mel and go to him if he seems to be in one spot for too long. I have tested this and and am able to get within 5-10 feet of him. When I get to where I think he is, I call him or activate the beeper, and there he is!!But I digress. So far Cardio Strength seems to be helping our cat more than the prescribed medications alone. I wouldn't want to drop the prescribed medications, but the supplement seems to be providing the boost that allows Mel to enjoy a high quality of life, which is critically important for us. PLEASE talk to your vet, though, before giving any supplements!! We have our fingers crossed that our comprehensive treatment plan will help keep Mel around for as long as possible. Cardio Strength seems to be helping to put a spring back in his step, and that is quite a significant thing when you consider the grim prognosis he was given. So far, so good. We continue to hope for the best and are grateful for the boost he seems to be getting from Cardio Strength.

I can't say with a scientific certainty that this works, but every indication is that it is a miracle. We adopted a mistreated Minpin two years ago and she was immediately diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. She has been on a daily regimen of Furosemide, Vetmedin and Enalapril (the usual meds). In April of 2016, her coughing worsened and the vet said she'd be gone by the end of the month. My wife found this medicine on Amazon and we started it, despite the fact the doctor said it would do no good.Within a few days her coughing stopped and even now, a month after she is supposed to be dead, her coughing is way less than it's been in a long time. The only difference is this product. So, it might be luck and it might be that the disease suddenly abated on its own, but I think it's Cardio Strength. We now have an entire month longer with our little girl than the vet said we'd have. And every other additional day I give thanks.So, I'd give this product 10 stars if that was possible.UPDATE: AUGUST 2016: Still no coughing and she's doing great. Not too bad for a dog who wouldn't live past April.UPDATE: JANUARY 2017:. I don't if this is possible, but my dog is coughing less than ever. I'm starting to wonder if the CHF is actually getting better. Is that possible?UPDATE JULY 2017: I took the dog to the vet for her annual checkup and her condition has actually improved. I thought so, but this was confirmed by the vet. The doctor said that she has never seen this happen before. I am still giving the standard cocktail of Vetmedin, Enalapril and Furosemide, which serve to control the Congestive Heart Failure, but we both think the Vetriscience is what's made the difference. My fingers are crossed and I no longer dread every day thinking my dog will die. She's almost like a regular dog now.UPDATE FEBRUARY 27, 2018My little girl died in my arms last night. She took a swift turn for the worse and I called the vet's emergency number , but they never called me back. I knew nothing could be done, but I wanted her to died quickly at the office. It was not to be. She suffered all night long in my arms and died at 523 in the morning. In the end, it went from "normal" to critical in just a few hours.I'm crying right now, but I shouldn't be. I got two extra years with her; but they went by so quickly.