Dog Cardiomyopathy and Grain Free Dog Food FDA List - Page 1

The FDA list of brands of grain free dog food fed to dogs that got cardiomyopathy is in this article. Also a lot of other info.

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/news-events/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

I'm reading everything I can about this and will talk to my vet. Depending on her recommendation and what the research says, I may decide to switch from Orijen (on the list) to something organic, or at least non-GMO.

Acana/Orijen sold in USA is different than in Canada. As far as I know there have not been any issues with the Canadian formulations or manufacturing. You can see on 'Dog food advisor' site that they even identify them as being different.

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/acana-dog-food-dry/

Victor dog food is made in the USA, is non GMO, and has never been recalled. We’ve been feeding our dogs Victor for close to two years. They love it and are thriving on it.

Thanks. I'll add these to the list I email my vet for her feedback/recommendations.

Anyone have any experience with Wysong Fundamentals? Meat, rice, and added minerals/vitamins/etc. No legumes. Taurine is listed as an ingredient.

Thanks.

Additionally, any reports of illness thought to be connected to food products are voluntary. We rely on pet owners and veterinarians to provide reports of illness, as well as clinical evidence to help document the case. Unlike in human health, there is no centralized reporting system comparable to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which utilizes reports through medical professionals, consumers, and state, local and tribal health agencies.

Alpo and gravy train didn’t make the list, so safe to feed?  Those who feed the higher end kibbles which are on the list, may be more aware of their dogs’ health and quality of life, visit their vet more...thus more precise input to this study.  Maybe.  Although I’ve fed Orijen, Victor and Zignature periodically with good results, these foods are nonetheless highly processed - non GMO, grain-free or not.  I’m less convinced a specific ingredient is the culprit in these documented cases of DCM, than I am with processing in general somehow triggering this ailment (and others) in individual dogs.

Human longevity and high quality of life in well-researched global blue zones are predicated on multiple factors.  A common denominator is the natural diet free from processed foods.  Applicable to our dogs?  

Can't see any reason to deny that, GK1, good point.

Just as not every human needs a raw-food, organic, healthy diet in order to survive, and in a reasonably healthy state, (many of us eat a 'balanced' diet, mixing some fresh, some processed), and it depends very much on not just the part of the world you live in but also what is available / affordable to you in your environment, then it surely isn't just a simple 101 thing of non-GMO, organic & raw = good, professionally processed kibble = bad.

Here is a link to the FDA report on the study listing the individual dogs:

https://www.fda.gov/media/128303/download

When you look at the data on the dogs (their diets, ages, breeds) on the above link I posted, you can’t ignore the fact that grain free is consistently a factor. There are 78 pages of data. Too much of a coincidence to ignore.

My veterinarian who is a board certified nutritionist said that there are many factors that need to be considered when reading the results of this and similar studies.  First off, there is the possibility of a genetic component especially a sensitivity or predisposition to taurine deficiencies (Golden Retrievers initially appear to be especially sensitive to taurine deficiencies).  Second, the accuracy of reports and testing done to determine taurine deficiency and a simple blood test is not going to do it.  There needs to be plasma and whole blood testing on how the dog's system is metabolizing, utilizing, and eliminating taurine (some dogs with low taurine where healthy and some dogs with "normal" taurine were having cardiac issues) because these factors do impact how much taurine the dog is actually able to use (so many factors to consider here including the gut health of the dog, the immune system health, microbes in the GI tract, vaccination history, and so on). Plasma and whole blood taurine concentrations as stated above, test HOW well is the dog able to use the available taurine as well as urine testing to see how much is eliminated and whether the taurine metabolites are present and in what concentrations.  Health history is often not complete or is missing early years and such with many owners having a rescued dog or moving around and switching veterinarians, or veterinarian practices closing or being sold, etc.  So there is no real definitive cardiac health history or other detailed health history to clearly pinpoint diet was the causative factor of the DCM.  Certain medications are hard on the heart as is anesthesia, especially on older dogs, and how recently did the dog have it's dental and did it have regular dental health attended to (bacteria can cause cardiac issues).  Diet history throughout the dog's life is very important but often not accurately and completely detailed in the complaints of cardiac issues, we all know garbage in and garbage out adage, if you feed your dog garbage food, expect issues (yes there are individuals who have no issues but this is individual and should not be generalized and there is no way of telling how that individual dog's health would be if it HAD been fed good quality food all along), and if you started the pup out on garbage food then saw the light of healthy eating, started feeding your adult or older dog good food, the dog is not as healthy as it would have been had it been started out on good quality food.  So take all this "the sky if falling" with diet associated DCM with a healthy dose of critical thinking skills until more testing is completed, feed your dog good quality food and what your dog thrives on.

Is not commercial processing also too much of coincidence to ignore?