Last month the New York Times published an article about a possible link between heart disease and grain-free diets in dogs.  We thought it was important to not only address that article’s concerns but also to let our clients know how DTLAvets is evaluating our grain-free eating patients to ensure that they are not at risk for developing this kind of heart disease.  It also presents itself as a perfect opportunity to review some nutrition basics and question some recent trends in the pet food industry.

The specific heart disease mentioned in the New York Times article is called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).  DCM causes a thin, flabby heart muscle that can no longer pump blood efficiently.  Dogs with this disease can exhibit trouble breathing, coughing, exercise intolerance, fainting and in advanced stages, heart failure.  DCM is typically acquired as a genetic disease in specific breeds of large to giant sized dogs, namely Boxers, Irish wolfhounds, Great Danes and Dobermans.  Though not a large breed, Cocker Spaniels are also genetically predisposed to DCM.  Less commonly, DCM can also be caused by low levels of taurine, an amino acid important for a healthy heart.  The prognosis for taurine-deficient DCM is usually very good when taurine supplementation is added.  We cannot say the same of genetic DCM.  DCM caused by a taurine deficiency is the topic of concern in the New York Times article.

Veterinary cardiology teams in Baltimore and at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine started to notice that other breeds were being increasingly diagnosed with DCM.  Many of these nontraditional breeds diagnosed with DCM were found to have low levels of taurine in their blood.  The FDA was alerted when the cardiologists realized that a common factor among these non-traditional breeds diagnosed with DCM was that they were eating a grain-free diet. Researchers are investigating the possibility of a grain-free diet interfering with a canine’s ability to make or absorb taurine.

While it is important to explore the possibility of diet as a cause for this uptick in DCM diagnoses, there are many other factors that could be causing DCM in these dogs.  No evidence has yet surfaced proving grain-free diets as the direct cause of taurine deficiency and DCM.  And to date of this blog’s publication, no pet food recalls have been issued regarding this concern.  But this is an excellent time to discuss why grain-free diets ever became “a thing” and to examine if they really are healthier than grain diets.

Truth #1: Grain-free does NOT equal carbohydrate-free.  In fact grain-free diets do have carbs in them, most commonly potatoes and legumes (like peas, chickpeas and lentils).  Grain-free generally translates to rice-free, wheat-free and corn-free, which were the traditional carbs/grains used in most dog food until about 10 years ago.  And FYI, carbs should be present in a healthy, balanced dog food. 

Truth #2: There is no research to demonstrate that grain-free diets offer dogs any health benefits over diets that contain grain.

Truth #3: The pet food industry has impressively capitalized on the the recalls of 2007, the gluten-free movement in humans and especially on our emotions as pet parents.

Remember the melamine scare and the pet food recalls that followed in 2007?  This drew the attention of pet parents closer to what they were feeding their pet (a good thing).  Sprinkle in a little gluten-free craze in humans (a simply unrelated thing).  Finish off with widespread advertising asking if you want “the very best for Fluffy” (a kind of judge-y thing), and you have the perfect environment to create new boutique brands of pet food touting themselves as innovative and healthier by offering a grain-free diet. If you think this tactic wasn’t successful, consider this:  sales of grain-free dog food rose to nearly $2.8 billion by the end of 2017 - this represents nearly 44% of the market.

Suddenly rice and corn were out and potatoes and peas were in.  And that’s not to say that potatoes and peas are bad.  They are probably just fine for most pets.  But there is no evidence to suggest that they are better.  Moreover, the digestibility and nutrient profile for rice and corn are well established and they have consistently shown to be safe and digestible when processed and stored correctly.  But potatoes and legumes just haven’t been around long enough in pet foods to accumulate the same kind of data.  This is not to say that some pets don’t clearly thrive on certain carbohydrates over others.  Important criteria to consider in a pet food are 1) that it has high-quality bioavailable ingredients, 2) that it’s made by an experienced manufacturer who demonstrates strict quality control, and 3) that the manufacturer follows new developments in canine and feline nutrition.  Of course nothing is more important than an individual pet’s needs - this should never by overshadowed by allegiance to any particular way of feeding.

We will have to wait for the research to be complete to know if being grain-free actually contributes to low taurine levels, and therefore DCM.  Some speculation has been made that high levels of legumes may block the production or absorption of taurine.  Other veterinary nutritionists are more suspicious that being grain-free is not the issue at all, and that instead some of these smaller boutique brands just don’t have the ability to perform consistent quality control, so poorer quality ingredients are finding their way into the final product, which can ultimately interfere with taurine absorption and production.

So what should you do if your pet is eating a grain-free diet?  With so many unresolved variables, automatically changing your pet’s food is probably a bit hasty.  We recommend scheduling an appointment with one of our doctors first so that we can examine your pet and submit a blood test to check taurine levels.  The result of that test will help to further guide any recommendations we have for your individual pet, whether it be a diet change, other cardiac tests or taurine supplementation.

If there is one thing that we should take away from this, it is to continue to be smart consumers.  There is still no one reliable governing body that has established comprehensive guidelines for the pet food industry.  So read labels, not just what is splashed across the front of the bag or can.  And if you have questions, consult your veterinarian - they are the best people to help you make the most informed choices for your pet.