Is grain Free bad for puppies

What Dog Owners Need to Know About the FDAs Grain-Free Diet Alert and DCM

TheFDA is investigatingpotential links between canine heart disease and diet specifically grain-free dog food diets.Weve compiled the information you need to know to understand this ongoing investigation.

Why Is the FDA Investigating Grain-Free Dog Food?

It is easy to panic anytime we see an FDA headline about pet food. After all, keeping our dogs healthy is essential to us, and we know that diet can make a big difference in a dogs well-being. We reached out to Dr. Jerry Klein, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the AKC, to hear his thoughts on the ongoing FDA investigation.

The FDA is investigating a potential dietary link between canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and dogs eating certain grain-free dog foods. The foods of concern are those containing legumes such as peas or lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes listed as primary ingredients. The FDA began investigating this matter after it received reports of DCM in dogs that had been eating these diets for a period of months to years. DCM itself is not considered rare in dogs, but these reports are unusual because the disease occurred in breeds of dogs not typically prone to the disease.

Between January 1, 2014 and April 30, 2019, the FDA received 524 reports of DCM (515 dogs, 9 cats), and most reports were submitted after the FDAs first public alert in July 2018. The total number of pets affected is greater than 524 because some reports included multi-pet households.

What is Canine Heart Disease or Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)?

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a type of canine heart disease that affects the heart muscle. The hearts of dogs with DCM have a decreased ability to pump blood, which often results in congestive heart failure.

Some breeds, especially large and giant breeds, have a predisposition to DCM. These breeds include Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Newfoundlands, Irish Wolfhounds, and Saint Bernards. While DCM is less common in medium and small breeds, English and American Cocker Spaniels are also predisposed to this condition.

The reports submitted to the FDA span a wide range of breeds, including many without a known genetic predisposition. When early reports from the veterinary cardiology community indicated that recent, atypical cases in breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Whippets, Bulldogs, and Shih Tzus all consistently ate grain alternatives in their diets, the FDA took notice.

Should you be Concerned About Grain-Free Dog Food?

In the FDAs July 2019 update on diet and canine heart disease, they examined labels of dog food products reported in DCM cases to determine whether the foods were grain-free (defined as no corn, soy, wheat, rice, barley or other grains), and whether the foods contained peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans, or potatoes (including sweet potatoes). Their report states that more than 90 percent of foods reported in DCM cases were grain-free, 93 percent of reported foods contained peas and/or lentils, and 42 percent contained potatoes/sweet potatoes.

According to Dr. Klein, At this time, there is no proof that these ingredients are the cause of DCM in a broader range of dogs, but dog owners should be aware of this alert from the FDA. The FDA continues to work with veterinary cardiologists and veterinary nutritionists to better understand the effect, if any, of grain-free diets on dogs.

The FDAs July 2019 update includes the names of dog food brands that were named 10 times or more in reports submitted through April 30, 2019. Most reports were for dry dog food, but raw, semi-moist and wet foods were all represented.

• Acana (67 reports)
• Zignature (64 reports)
• Taste of the Wild (53 reports)
• 4Health (32 reports)
• Earthborn Holistic (32 reports)
• Blue Buffalo (31 reports)
• Natures Domain (29 reports)
• Fromm (24 reports)
• Merrick (16 reports)
• California Natural (15 reports)
• Natural Balance (15 reports)
• Orijen (12 reports)
• Natures Variety (10 reports)
• Nutrisource (10 reports)
• Nutro (10 reports)
• Rachael Ray Nutrish (10 reports)

In the Dec. 1 version of theJournal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, Ph.D., DACVN, provided an update to the research on DCM and emphasized the issue is not just grain-free diets. She calls the suspected diets BEG diets (boutique companies,exotic ingredients, or grain-free diets).

The apparent link between BEG diets and DCM may be due to ingredients used to replace grains in grain-free diets, such as lentils or chickpeas, but also may be due to other common ingredients commonly found in BEG diets, such as exotic meats, vegetables, and fruits, Freeman wrote.

Freeman emphasizes that although there appears to be an association between DCM and BEG diets, the relationship has not yet been proven, and other factors may be equally or more important.

The FDA encourages pet owners to report cases of dogs and cats with DCM that they suspect to be linked to diet by using the Safety Reporting Portal.

As a general rule of thumb, the best thing you can do for your dogs dietary health is to consult your veterinarian. Togetheryou can weigh the pros and cons of your dogs diet, consider whether grain-inclusive dog food or grain-free dog food are right for your dog, and, if necessary, monitor your dog for signs of DCM.

The Truth About Grain-Free Dog Food: Insights from a Nutrition Expert

The phrase grain-free has become one of the most confusing and debated in the world of dog food in recent years. It was and is often seen as a positive many nutritionists warn against high levels of grains in dog food.

However, in recent years, a growing concern has emerged regarding the potential connection between canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and dogs diets with grain-free foods framed by some as the problem.

As a result, pet parents, believing they are offering their furry companions the best nutrition, find themselves troubled by the notion that their diet could be linked to such a serious disease.

While DCM has various causes, including genetics, medications, and infections, its crucial to note theres no scientific evidence definitively linking grain-free or grain-inclusive diets to DCM.

This, however, has not eased the concern or confusion among many pet parents. Not least because people confuse food advertised as grain-free which often has grain substitutes with food that simply has no grains in it, such as raw dog food.To address the uncertainties around foods labelled grain-free, we spoke Dr. Richard Patton, a seasoned Ph.D. animal nutritionist with over 40 years of experience and expertise in formulating canine diets, more than 25 scientific publications to his name, and who has authored a book on pet nutrition. Hes a nutritional consultant for the raw food community.

(Please note that these are Dr. Pattons expert opinions, not those of Dog Food Advisor.)

In the popular language of the pet food industry, grain-free trade signifies the absence of ingredients like corn, oats, wheat, soybeans, and the like. This labelling suggests the replacement of these perceived problematic grains with supposedly more benign options such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or other non-grain alternatives.

However, the crux of the issue isnt the specific grains name but rather the quantity of soluble carbohydrates it contains essentially, starch and sugar. Potatoes, often deemed virtuous replacements for grains, can be just as carbohydrate-rich and, therefore, pose similar concerns as grains like corn. Similarly, a diet featuring lower levels of soluble carbohydrates can still be highly nutritious, even if it includes moderate amounts of grains.

How do I know if my dog should be grain-free?

Your dog should generally be fed a diet that is low in starch and sugar. Their diet should be low in soluble carbohydrates its usually easiest to feed your dog complete and balanced meat-based dog food.

Apart from honey, there are very few natural sources of food that are high in carbohydrates. If we were to survive in the wild, we would find many things to eat, but very few carbohydrates. Mankind made them easy to find, but a high-carb diet is ill-suited for our genetic machinery.

Should pet parents avoid grain-free food?

The thing to avoid is a high-carb diet. The pet food industry is dominated by brands that make crunchy kibble on a machine called an extruder. To properly run an extruder requires a fair measure of starch due to its inherent qualities. It expands when heated with water; it stays expanded when cooled and dried.

The pet food industry is a behemoth, with a dog or cat for every other person in the country. Big kibble has coerced the market into thinking kibble is the way to go. In fact, a pet parents buying decision is guided by three things: cost, convenience, and correct nutrition. Its hard to have all three. Big kibble trades on its strength in cost and convenience.

Are there different types of grain-free dog food?

There are different ingredients one can replace corn, oats, wheat, etc. with. However, if its a crunchy kibble, it will contain excess carbohydrates.

What are the benefits of grain-free dog food?

Given that both with grain and grain-free can be equally dubious due to high starch content, the benefits are confined to economics and convenience.

What are the disadvantages of grain-free dog food?

A grain-free kibble will be high in starch and deliver excess carbohydrates, the same as regular grain kibble. Everyone thinks fat causes obesity. This is incorrect. Excess carbohydrates cause obesity.

Does grain-free dog food cause heart disease (DCM, enlarged heart or dilated cardiomyopathy)?

There is no credible scientific evidence for this, let alone proof. If there is a link between diet and DCM in dogs, it is far more likely to be a matter of protein quality, amount and specific amino acid amount.

Is grain good for dogs?

Grain can be fed to dogs if fed in moderation. A primordial diet is 5-7% carbohydrate, and this is the dietary level mammals are genetically evolved to consume, and thrive on best.

Is grain-free food the same as gluten-free/wheat-free dog food?

If grain-free means the diet is free of wheat, rye, barley and oats, then the diet can be considered gluten-free. There are pet food kibbles in the market that snub these specific cereal grains.

If you or your pet has a gluten intolerance, you readily grasp the relevance of this issue. Gluten intolerance is a genetic inability to digest the gliadin fraction of the wheat protein gluten. Gluten is also found in the protein of rye and to a smaller extent in barley and oats. So no, grain-free does not speak to gluten-free specifically, but often a grain-free diet can be gluten-free as well.

Can puppies eat grain-free food?

Talking about grain-free dry kibble, yes, of course, they can eat it, and given that puppies chew on anything, they will appear to relish it. The excess carbohydrates in some foods are just as bad for puppies as adults. Puppy food should derive its calories from protein and fat, not from carbohydrates.

What is the best grain-free dog food?

The question should be what is the best type of food? Regarding grain-free kibble, one can assume the various competing products all comply with AAFCOs recommended guidelines for nutrient content.

In this regard, it is not easy to identify one superior brand among dry kibbles. However, pending AAFCO changes will call for labels to state not just total calories but what percentage of these total calories derives from protein, fat and carbs. This will greatly inform pet parents buying decisions and advance awareness that low-carb diets are best.

For example, a grain-free dry kibble with 30% carbohydrate calories is better than one that is 40 or 50%. Under current label rules, this way of evaluating and ranking is not possible. When it does become the norm, it will show that natural and natural raw diets at 5-10% calories from carbohydrates are the best.

Is grain-free food better for allergies?

If a pet is indeed allergic to one of the grains shunned in grain-free formulas (viz., corn, oats, wheat, soy, barley, rice) a grain-free kibble could lessen symptoms. There was an all-meat-type pet food producer who guaranteed his meat-based product would clear any skin problem or your money back. In 30 years he never refunded a cent. Often, a dogs food sensitivity is not to a specific ingredient but to a diets overall carbohydrate analysis. Lowering starch and sugar in a diet often lessens allergic symptoms.