Top 5 Cardiac Prescription Diets in the United States for 2025: Vet-Recommended Dog Foods to Protect Your Dog's Heart + How to Choose

Hill's h/d Heart Care is a long-standing prescription diet formulated to support dogs with heart disease through sodium restriction, targeted taurine and gal‑carnitine supplementation, and omega‑3 fatty acids to support cardiac function. It holds a market leader position because of extensive clinical use, high palatability and broad veterinary distribution, which often makes it financially accessible through clinics compared with smaller specialty brands; compared with Royal Canin and Purina it is distinguished by its long clinical track record and clinic-level availability.

Royal Canin Cardiac EC 26 is a veterinary prescription diet designed for chronic cardiac insufficiency, emphasizing controlled sodium, tailored energy density to maintain body condition, and precise nutrient ratios to limit fluid retention. Its technical strength is a highly standardized, science-driven formulation and consistent manufacturing backed by a global supply chain, offering veterinarians a precise alternative to Hill's h/d while often sitting at comparable price points in veterinary channels.

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets CC CardioCare focuses on cardiac support with controlled sodium, enhanced gal‑carnitine and taurine, and omega‑3 fatty acids to support myocardial health and circulation. As part of a large petfood network it typically provides a cost‑effective option with broad availability and supply reliability, making it attractive financially to clinics and owners seeking a research‑based formula comparable to Hill's but often at a lower per‑bag cost.

Rayne Restrict-CKD/Heart is a niche prescription diet formulated for dogs with concurrent cardiac disease and chronic kidney disease, combining low sodium with moderated phosphorus and tailored protein levels to address both conditions. Its technical advantage is specialization for complex comorbid cases—offering clinicians a focused formulation not provided by mainstream cardiac diets—although as a smaller company it may be less widely stocked and sometimes higher in unit cost than mass‑market veterinary diets.