What is wrong with grain-free diets?

Barley and Stella sporting their fall bandanas about two weeks after diagnosis

The problem isn't necessarily a lack of grains. The problem is that grain-free diets tend to substitute grains with legumes.

Adding grains into your dog's diet won't solve the problem. However, excluding certain legumes will likely reduce the occurrence of heart disease, or heart disease progression.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting pet owners and veterinary professionals about reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients.

While taurine deficiency may be one of the causes to dilated cardiomyopathy, overall the cause is unknown. According to the FDA,

Early reports from the veterinary cardiology community indicate that the dogs consistently ate these foods as their primary source of nutrition for time periods ranging from months to years. High levels of legumes or potatoes appear to be more common in diets labeled as “grain-free,” but it is not yet known how these ingredients are linked to cases of DCM.

This issue begs the question - what do I feed my dog? Start first with asking your vet. They will likely recommend the top five brands that have been on the market for a long time: Hills Science Diet, Royal Canin, Iams and Purina.

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The doggy genetic test - 100% golden, .06% wolfiness and 0% at risk for heart disease

Barley in her most wolfiness hour circa July 2016 (first camping trip) Before the publication of the FDA report , dilated cardiomyopathy was believed to be caused by a genetics. It is understood that the identification of a splice site deletion of the PDK4 gene is associated with the development of DCM ( Meurs, et a., 2012 ). This abnormality is commonly seen in Doberman Pinchers, Saint Bernards and Caviler King Charles. Now, we are starting to see breeds who are not genetically predisposed being diagnosed with DCM. Their connection? A diet heavy in peas, lentils and potatoes - seen in many grain-free diets. As a reminder, it is not the lack of grains causing heart disease, but what is being used as a grain- substitute . When Barley was diagnosed with DCM, the veterinarian mentioned that it could take a month to get the taurine results back from the lab (it took ~ 2-3 weeks). The taurine labs have been overloaded with requests. Taurine is typically the first test th

An Update & Resources

Barley on her third birthday in September 2018 With a heavy heart, I wanted to share that our dear Barley passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of three in December 2018. She was otherwise a completely healthy dog, except for her enlarged heart , which was likely caused by improper ingredients in her commercially sold dog food. We hope that everyone shares and listens to Barley's story. I have stayed active in the community working to spread the word on this potentially preventable condition. After extensive reading and research, I've concluded that there is no evidence to feed your dog boutique, grain free, or small batch dog food at this time unless your dog has a clinical condition that requires an individualized diet. We all want what is best for our furry family members, and unfortunately the dog food marketing industry has somehow gained persuasion over our trusted veterinarian community when it comes to nutrition. In general, you should feed yo

Grain-Free Diets and the Link to Heart Disease in Dogs

Did you know that 63% of veterinarians say grain free diets are unhealthy for dogs? Barley one month after her DCM diagnosis In July 2018 the FDA began investigating the link between heart disease and grain-free diets. The crux of the argument is that grain-free diets are substituting grains with legumes which may be potentially harmful to a dog's health and heart. The FDA report caught a lot of attention in July and raised concerns because they are seeing dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dog breeds who are not prone to genetic heart disease. Of these cases, dogs shared one common theme - their d iets. In the cases reported to the FDA, the dogs were being fed diets that commonly listed potatoes or multiple legumes as well as their protein, starch, and fiber sources early in the ingredient list, indicating that those were the main ingredients. High levels of legumes or potatoes are found often in products labeled as “grain-free.” - FDA, July 12, 2018

Too Big of a Heart - my dog's battle with dilated cardiomyopathy and BEG diets

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