As grain-free pet foods rose in popularity, vets started noticing a potential connection between dogs who were on a grain-free diet and a type of heart disease called canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
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What ingredient in grain-free dog food causes heart problems?
In July 2018, the FDA announced that it had begun investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as “grain-free,” which contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms (whole, flour, protein, etc.)
Are there any safe grain-free dog foods?
Merrick Grain-Free Dog Food Free of grains, additives, and artificial ingredients, this is a great treat for pups of all sizes and breeds.
What dog food is giving dogs heart problems?
- Acana (67 cases)
- Zignature (64 cases)
- Taste of the Wild (53 cases)
- 4Health (32 cases)
- Earthborn Holistic (32 cases)
- Blue Buffalo (31 cases)
- Nature’s Domain (29 cases)
- Fromm (24 cases)
Do vets recommend grain-free dog food?
When it comes to the question of grain-free diets, veterinarians recommended that dogs be fed a grain-inclusive diet unless there is a reason that makes it unsuitable. One thing to always look out for when choosing a food is an adequacy statement on the label.
What is the healthiest type of dog food?
- The Farmer’s Dog – Best Overall.
- Solid Gold Barking at the Moon High-Protein.
- Nature’s Logic Sardine Meal Feast All Life Stages.
- K9 Natural Beef Feast Raw Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food.
- Sojos Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food.
How do you prevent DCM in dogs?
Don’t fill your dog’s bowl with peas—avoid dog foods with peas, lentils and other legumes, as well as potatoes, listed as a primary ingredient. These findings are driven home by the fact that supplementing grain, meat, or taurine does not correct the disease for most cases.
Why is grain-free dog food not good?
According to a warning from the Food and Drug Administration released last week, grain-free food might be giving dogs a life-threatening heart problem called dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. The science is still preliminary, and it’s based on a potential association between diet and heart disease in fewer than 600 dogs.
Is 2022 grain-free dog food Safe?
While there’s no significant evidence that says grain-free diets are bad for all dogs or that grain-free dog food contains harmful ingredients, it’s best to make sure your dog gets a varied diet. Including grains in your dog’s diet can help them get all the nutrients they need to lead a healthy life.
Is Rachael Ray dog food grain free?
Rachael Ray™ Nutrish DISH® Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe is not a grain free formula. However, it is free of corn, wheat, soy & gluten ingredients. We now have a Nutrish DISH® Grain Free Chicken & Potato Recipe with Veggies & Fruit or you could try Zero Grain or PEAK® recipes.
What is the best food to feed a dog with a heart murmur?
1. Royal Canin Vet Diet Early Cardiac Dry Food – Best Overall. The best overall dog food for heart disease is the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Early Cardiac Dry Food. Since it’s a veterinary diet, a prescription from your vet is required for purchase.
Do sweet potatoes cause heart disease in dogs?
They may cause heart disease. Although the FDA found no concrete evidence specifically associating sweet potatoes to canine heart disease, owners of specific dog breeds at high risk for DCM may choose not to feed them sweet potatoes as a precaution.
What dog foods cause dilated cardiomyopathy?
In July 2018, the FDA warned about a potential link between DCM and the consumption of grain-free pet foods—or, more specifically, pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legumes, or potatoes as their main ingredients. The agency had been receiving reports of diet-associated DCM as early as 2014.
Why do vets not like grain-free dog food?
Grain-free dog food does not contain wheat, rice, or other types of grains. Grains are usually substituted for legumes, which could cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). When you cut out grains, dogs can miss out on fiber, fatty acids, and protein.
Which is better for dogs grain or grain-free?
While grain dog food was blamed for dog allergies, grain-free dog food does not look as perfect due to the FDA’s findings. It’s important to point out that there are grain dog foods containing lentils, potatoes, and peas, but not in high concentrations that grain-free diets use to replace grains.
What grains should dogs avoid?
Grain-free dog food excludes commonly used cereal grains like wheat, corn, rice, sorghum, barley, and rye. These grains are often replaced with legumes like lentils and peas or white potatoes and sweet potatoes, which are high in fiber and other nutrients while also maintaining a low-glycemic index.
Do dogs need grains?
While dogs don’t need grains to get the glucose they need to survive, they need at least some form of glucose in their diet. Starchy vegetables and legumes provide this glucose in grain-free foods, whereas wheat, rice, and other grains provide this glucose in grain foods.
Why do vets recommend Royal Canin?
Vets recommend Royal Canin so highly because there is a veterinary nutritionist on staff who makes sure that the ingredients in the food are of high quality and the diet is nutritionally balanced to get the needs of the dog.
Is Hill’s Science diet worth it?
Our Rating of Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dog Food Hill’s Science Diet Adult is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars. Recommended.
Can taurine reverse cardiomyopathy in dogs?
The good news is that DCM secondary to taurine deficiency has a very good long-term prognosis. Taurine supplementation often reverses the heart muscle abnormalities, and many dogs can be completely weaned off heart medications.
Do peas cause heart problems in dogs?
In August 2021, researchers from Tufts University published a study that indicated that peas may be a leading dog food ingredient contributing to a rise in diet-associated canine heart disease (DCM) in dogs.
What foods block taurine absorption in dogs?
Over the past 15 years, reduced taurine status in dogs has been associated with feeding lamb meal and rice diets, soybean-based diets, rice bran, beet pulp, and high fiber diets.
Do sweet potatoes cause DCM in dogs?
Far fewer dogs diagnosed with DCM were eating foods containing potatoes or sweet potatoes. This means that sweet potatoes, as a treat, will not harm your dog or cause DCM.
Can you reverse cardiomyopathy in dogs?
Unfortunately, DCM is rarely reversible and individuals that have it usually have it for life. A rare exception is taurine deficiency in a small subset of the population as discussed above. Medical therapy can help, but long-term survival is variable for each animal.
What age do dogs get DCM?
The occurrence of DCM increases with age and typically has an age of onset between 4 and 10 years. However, DCM may occur in young Portuguese water dogs as an inherited disease.