{"id":3197,"date":"2019-07-12T21:03:34","date_gmt":"2019-07-13T01:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?p=3197"},"modified":"2019-07-12T21:03:41","modified_gmt":"2019-07-13T01:03:41","slug":"grain-free-diets-and-dog-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/grain-free-diets-and-dog-food\/","title":{"rendered":"DCM and Grain-Free Diets and Dog Food"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Since July 2018, the FDA has conducted investigations into grain-free diets and dog foods and their potential link to canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Since then, more pet owners have come forward after their dogs have been diagnosed with or have died of DCM. And, each of these pets was fed a grain-free diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 27, the agency published<\/a> an updated listing of 16 brands of dog food as those with the highest correlation to this form of heart disease. Many pet owners are understandably concerned about this FDA warning and would like more answers about these diets. Are grain-free diets bad? Should you change your pet\u2019s food?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services<\/a> wants to address these concerns and help dog owners understand these precautions and what actions to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What is Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cardiomyopathy is a degeneration of the heart, most often affecting the left ventricle. As the muscles become thinner, causing the heart\u2019s walls to expand, the heart becomes enlarged. This heart condition is canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DCM can be caused by a number of factors, including breed (such as Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, and Cocker Spaniel), nutrition, and inheriting the disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Link Between DCM and Grain-Free Diets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recently, there has been an unusual upsurge in dogs diagnosed with DCM, especially in Golden Retrievers. Among these cases, grain-free and \u201cboutique\u201d diets (raw, special ingredients, wild game, etc) seem to be the common factor. The FDA has been investigating the link between these diets and the increased diagnosis of DCM. From their findings, the problem is not just grain-free per se. It is that peas, lentils, other legume seeds, and potatoes in various forms replaced those grains. These items are usually in the first 10 ingredients on the container label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are these ingredients problematic? To date, it\u2019s unknown. What\u2019s concerning is the spike of DCM cases over the past few years in relation to dogs eating special diets with these ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA is investigating these diets but also other variables that could affect their studies, such as the age of the dog, preexisting health conditions, and breed. They are also looking at poor taurine metabolism (sometimes linked to DCM). There is a higher reporting of Golden Retrievers with DCM, and taurine deficiencies more commonly affect this breed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taurine is an amino acid that is abundant in meat. Cats don\u2019t have the ability to generate taurine, so they must get it from their diet. For dogs, there is definitely a major connection with diet and taurine levels. Golden Retrievers may be at higher risk due<\/a> to the double whammy of taurine-deficient diets plus a genetic issue related to taurine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms of Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If your dog has been eating a diet containing peas, lentils, legumes, and potatoes, it\u2019s important for you to know the signs of canine dilated cardiomyopathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n