REVEALED: The sixteen pet foods being investigated by the FDA for causing HEART DISEASE in dogs
- The FDA is investigating after 199 dogs died of dilated cardiomyopathy
- There appears to be a link with foods containing legumes, seeds and potatoes
- The probe is ongoing and the FDA has given no judgement on specific brands
- Brands featured in most reports were Acana, Zignature and Taste of the Wild
Sixteen pet food brands have been named in an ongoing investigation over dietary links to canine heart disease.
The FDA is studying the link between dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and food after 199 dogs died in over 500 cases between 2014 and 2018.
Of all the cases of DCM reported through to this year the brands that most frequently cropped up were Acana with 67, Zignature with 64 and Taste of the Wild with 53.
The FDA is probing a link to legumes, seeds and potatoes.
A hungry Labrador retriever munching on his lunch (stock photo)
In one case a four-year-old golden retriever who had been eating 4 Health Beef & Potato dry, grain free dog food since birth suddenly contracted a cough and died from DCM.
Just one month later its sibling also died having been fed on the same diet.
In another case, listed by the FDA, a three-year-old French bulldog began having trouble breathing, the owner said she ‘was not interested in her food, which was not like her.’
She was diagnosed with DCM having been fed on ‘California Natural Grain Free Kangaroo and Red Lentils Recipe.’
The bulldog died just four months after she was diagnosed.
At this time the FDA’s investigation is ongoing and pet owners are urged to seek specialist vet nutritionist advice before changing their dog’s diet.
Legumes – including peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans and peanuts – as well as the seeds from them are often used in pet foods to boost their protein content.
A dog eating its food (stock image) – the cases are still being investigated by the FDA
The cases included all types of foods, including kibble, canned, raw and home-cooked.
The FDA stated that the cases had to be put in the context of there being 77million dogs in the USA and that no conclusions had yet been reached.
Furthermore, certain breeds such as Golden Retrievers are more prone to heart disease and this could account for disproportionate representation.