Pet Foods linked to Cardiomyopathyi
 

16 Pet Foods Possibly Linked To Heart Disease In Dogs, FDA Reports
Lisette Voytko
Lisette Voytko Forbes Staff



Most cases ate pet food containing peas, lentils, chickpeas, and potatoes.
Most reported cases ate pet food containing peas, lentils, chickpeas, and different kinds of potatoes.GETTY
Topline: Amid an ongoing investigation by the Food and Drug Administration into a possible link between heart disease in dogs and “grain-free” dog food often including “legumes such as peas and lentils,” the FDA listed 16 pet food brands that have been named most frequently in its investigation.

The brands most often named in the FDA’s reports were: Acana (67), 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), NutriSource (10), Nutro (10), and Rachael Ray Nutrish (10).
Over 500 cases of dilated cardio myopathy (DCM) are under investigation. Symptoms include lack of stamina, coughing, and difficulty breathing. If untreated, DCM can lead to an enlarged heart or heart failure.
The FDA found most reported cases ate pet food containing peas, lentils, chickpeas, and different kinds of potatoes.
The FDA has not asked pet food companies to recall products. Instead, the agency shared reports with the companies “so they can make informed decisions about the marketing and formulation of their products.”
Dog owners were warned of the potential link in 2018, when the FDA began receiving reports of DCM cases in breeds rarely diagnosed with the condition.
What to watch for: The FDA advises pet owners to bring dogs to the veterinarian if symptoms of DCM or other heart conditions are noticed, and to check with the vet before switching foods. If the dog is suddenly very weak or collapses, an emergency veterinarian should be immediately sought. If DCM is caught early, (and not related to the dog’s genetics) heart function can recover.

Crucial quote: “We know it can be devastating to suddenly learn that your previously healthy pet has a potentially life-threatening disease like DCM. That’s why the FDA is committed to continuing our collaborative scientific investigation into the possible link between DCM and certain pet foods,” said FDA veterinary director Dr. Steven M. Solomon.

Damn. Some of these get the highest ratings for dog food according to the websites that do these kinds of reviews. I’ll have to talk to my vet about this.

My dog ate Nutro and she did get cardiomyopathy. The vet gave her medicine and she lived two more years and crossed the Rainbow bridge at age 16.
We have a new puppy and we were feeding hm Orejen, which is on the list. We switched to Purina.
My parents had a German Shepherd that ate Purina and he lived to be almost 15. They also had a poodle that only ate my mother's cooked food and he lived to be 18.

Thanks for the input and sorry for the pup loss...but 16 years is a good life for our beloved dogs.
Which Purina are you feeding the new pup?
We feed our Springer Blue Buffalo. My wife researched the cardio disease and found that certain breeds are more susceptible to it.
I will talk to my vet as I said earlier but not in any panic over it.

Hill,

Blue Buffalo is one of the ones listed in the original post...Just wanted to mention in case you didn’t see it.

Dan

Yes, I saw that Dan and that’s why I was concerned. We take our Springer to the vet faithfully and they do all the blood work each year. I’m not as concerned as when I saw the first post. But I will discuss the heart condition at the next vet visit.

I bought Purina Dog Chow-not sure if I'll stick with that one yet.
My dog was a Tibetian Terrier and was not a breed prone to cardiomyopathy.
this site can tell you what diseases different breeds are prone to:https://www.hsvma.org/assets/pdfs/gu...-disorders.pdf