The FDA, Diet And Heart Disease In Dogs

Dilated cardiomyopathy is typically seen in large and giant breed dogs. This includes Great Danes, Boxers, Irish Wolfhounds, Doberman Pinschers, Saint Bernards, and Newfoundlands. Smaller breeds like Cocker Spaniels are also prone to DCM Recent reports show it in Golden and Labrador Retrievers, Whippets, Shih-Tzus, Bulldogs, and Miniature Schnauzers. And the FDA thinks their diet may be to blame..

What Is Dilated Cardiomyopathy In Dogs?

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a type of heart disease in dogs. It is also known as an enlarged heart.

With DCM, both the upper and lower chambers of the heart become enlarged. The muscles become weak, and the heart cannot pump blood as well as it needs to. When this happens, fluid builds up in the lungs and the hearts gets overloaded. This leads to congestive heart failure.

Early signs of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs can be hard to spot.

You can keep an eye out for:

• less interest in exercise
• lower exercise tolerance
• increased breathing rate
• excess panting
• coughing
• weakness
• fainting episodes

Or your vet may notice a slight heart murmur or irregular heart rhythm.

Is Grain-Free Dog Food to Blame?

The dogs in the reports ate grain-free foods “as their primary source of nutrition” for months to years.

So why does the FDA think diet is the cause of this dangerous form of heart disease? The dogs in the reports have something important in common. All the affect dogs are eating foods that contain these specific ingredients:

• peas
• lentils
• other legume seeds
• potatoes
  

These ingredients are most found in grain-free foods.

The dogs in the reports ate grain-free foods “as their primary source of nutrition” for months to years.

At this point, the FDA is investigating the link. They have not said how these foods are linked to DCM. They also have not listed any specific brands.

We spoke with veterinary nutrition expert Marion Smart DVM PhD about the investigation. Dr. Smart’s take: “it is more complicated than some might think. And more research is definitely needed.”

“This may relate to the way the pulses are grown. The fertilizers, the chemicals and the growing conditions may all be factors. They could be altering the plants’ metabolism and the number of antimetabolites present.” says Smart.

“There’s also the potential for some of these chemicals to be taken into the animal’s body. This could alter the ability to metabolize potential toxins or chelate important minerals. It could even denature proteins. Feed-grade pulses that are not suitable for human consumption could also play a role. These pulses may be immature, carry imperfections or could be contaminated with mycotoxins (a dangerous mold). They could even be tainted with some of the chemicals used to grow or desiccate them.”

As you can see, it is not a simple study, and it is not a simple answer. Researchers must look at a lot of variables to get a concrete answer.

Taurine Deficiency and Grain-Free Dog Food

This is not the first time we have heard about grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs. Grain-free foods have also been linked to taurine deficiency.

Taurine is an amino acid that dogs need for the development and function of their heart muscle cells. It is also important for eye, brain, and immune health. It is found naturally in raw meats and organs, but you will not find it in cooked foods (unless it is added back in via a synthetic supplement).

Taurine is found in most animal proteins, especially in the brain and heart. Poultry, fish, and liver are great sources of taurine; hoofed animals, eggs and milk contain lower amounts. There is almost no taurine in most plant proteins, so vegetarian and vegan diets can cause a taurine deficiency. Cooking and processing also reduce the taurine content … that is why many processed foods include synthetic taurine supplements.

Some research says that DCM may be related to a nutritional deficiency in taurine in some dogs.

Four of the cases the FDA is studying showed low blood levels of the amino acid taurine. One of the dogs is recovering with treatment that includes a change in diet, plus taurine supplementation. But four other cases had normal blood taurine levels.

So, lack of taurine was not the issue in half these FDA examples.

We need to gather more information on the link between DCM and pet food. But that does not mean grain-free kibble is safe. Not by a long shot. Plus, there are a ton of reasons not to feed.