[NAGDU] FW: [GDUI Chat] 16 Dog Foods Causing Heart Failure Concerns

Mon Jul 1 15:34:36 UTC 2019

Tracy,

I tend to agree with you. The link between taurine and DCM is still
being investigated. The FDA presents the issue as "grain free diets
cause heart failure', but I would be willing to bet it is more like
"diets high in legumes increase the risk of DCM for those dogs already
predisposed."
There are also some misconceptions popular among both pet owners and
veterinarians. For example, it is not a lack of grain that is the
problem, it is something popular in grain free diets that is causing
the uptake of taurine to be inhibited. Because of this, simply adding
grain or a taurine supplement to the dog's current diet isn't going to
solve anything.

The FDA article states that vets recommend feeding Purina, Iams,
Hills, Royal Canin, and Eukanuba. This just seems a little too
convenient to me, considering these are the exact five brands with the
most influence over vet schools. I'm not saying vets receive any
financial gain for recommending these brands, but simply that these
brands are often affiliated with what little nutrition training is
required in vet school.

I've already had this conversation on social media, and the only
things I will say are:

1. Of the brands listed with reported cases of DCM, many include both
grain free and grain inclusive options. I don't think it is entirely
fair to lump them together for this reason.

2. Many of the five "recommended" brands still produce grain free
formulas. It's a bit perplexing to me how these are supposedly the
safest brands, but they are no different than some other brands--they
have some formulas with suspected problem ingredients, and some
formulas with no suspected ingredients.

3. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to DCM independent of diet,
and Goldens are one such breed. Responsible breeding won't eliminate
this risk entirely, but it will certainly decrease it.

4. Some grain inclusive formulas also contain legumes or potato. Just
because it has grain, doesn't mean it doesn't have non-grain
carbohydrate sources too.

5. DCM is certainly a very important issue and it may be a good choice
to be safe than sorry, but it is not the only factor you should look
at when choosing a dog food. The quality of ingredients and sourcing
of ingredients don't automatically not matter anymore just because a
new concern has developed.

**most important of all IMO** 6. There are brands aside from the
recommended ones that both have no legumes/potato/sweet potato with no
reported DCM cases, but also have better quality ingredients. It
doesn't have to be an either or situation, and it's interesting that
the FDA doesn't make this clear. Farmina, Nature's Logic, Victor, and
Nature's Select come to mind as other brands offering formulas that
meet this criteria.

All this to say that people should try to be educated about pet food
and not just blindly switch from grain free to grain inclusive without
doing some research about the formula/brand. Likewise, just because it
is AAFCO approved, doesn't mean it is the best choice. If that means
feeding Farmina after careful research, awesome. If that means ProPlan
after careful research, great.

Danielle

On 7/1/19, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I don't know what to make of this.  I feed Taste of the Wild, and my dog
> is doing well on it.  The other foods are premium foods as well.  I wonder
> if the FDA examined bigger brands, like Purina.  I'd bet not.
> The problem they talk about is hereditary, the article says first off.  So
> I guess I'm going to bet that TSE has monitored their breeding program to
> minimize or eliminate hereditary heart problems, and feed the food I think
> is good for my dog.
> Tracy
>
>
>> 	Hi all,
>> Not sure if any of you feed your guides any of these brands, but I
>> thought
>> that I'd pass this along.
>> Madison
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Sarah Calhoun [mailto:sc-tico at att.net]
>> Sent: June-29-19 11:25 AM
>> To: GDUI Chat <chat at guidedogusersinc.org>
>> Subject: [GDUI Chat] 16 Dog Foods Causing Heart Failure Concerns
>>
>> Article from UPI News Unspecified Section 2019 06 28
>>
>> FDA names 16 dog food brands most linked to cases of heart failure. June
>> 28
>> (UPI) --. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has expanded a
>> year-long investigation into links between certain dog foods and
>> congestive heart failure, and has named more than a dozen brands most
>> often associated with reported cases. The agency, which began
>> investigating potential connections a year ago, on Thursday pointed to 16
>> brands it said are most frequently identified with more than 500 cases of
>> dilated cardiomyopathy
>> (DCM) in dogs. While the underlying cause of DCM is unknown, it is
>> believed to be a genetic component. Large and giant dog breeds are most
>> typically affected. Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Great Danes
>> and Pit Bulls are the most common dogs that acquire the disease, the FDA
>> said, and dogs were fed dry food in nearly all of the reported cases.
>> Canine DCM is a disease that effects dogs' heart muscles, which can often
>> result in congestive failure. We know it can be devastating to suddenly
>> learn that your previously healthy pet has a potentially life-threatening
>> disease like DCM, Steven M. Solomon, director of the FDA's Center for
>> Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement. That's why the FDA is committed
>> to continuing our collaborative scientific investigation into the
>> possible
>> link. The brands identified by the FDA are: Acana (67 cases), Zignature
>> (64), Taste of the Wild (53), 4Health (32), Earthborn Holistic (32), Blue
>> Buffalo (31), Nature's Domain (29), Fromm (24), Merrick (16
>>  ), California Natural (15), Natural Balance (15), Orijen (12), Nature's
>> Variety (11), Nutri Source(10), Nutro (10) and Rachael Ray Nutrish (10).
>>
>> Best,
>> Sarah
>>
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