In the November issue, already in subscribers hands and available at WholeDogJournal.com, we have a number of articles about canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and diet. The articles are a response to the announcements by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regarding their investigation of possible links between certain types of diets and the development of the disease in what seems like a growing number of dogs.
No statistics are kept about the rate or prevalence of DCM in dogs, but veterinary cardiologists first raised their concern that the disease might be occurring more often, and even more distressingly, in breeds that are not known to be at an increased genetic risk. They sent reports about their cases to the FDA, who began investigating. The agency apparently thought the matter merited extra attention or alertness from pet owners and veterinarians, and, in hopes of increasing awareness of the symptoms of the disease, they issued their first announcement in June 2019.
More DCM Cases, or Increased Awareness?
The number of cases of any suspected health condition will rise upon news about its potential risk – and it does seem that there has been an increase in the number of cases since awareness of the symptoms of DCM have been widely publicized. I’ve been following a number of Facebook groups for owners of dogs who have been diagnosed with DCM, and daily, there are people who post stories about their dogs – dogs who were newly diagnosed, dogs undergoing treatment, and dogs who passed away. But, dang, it’s frustrating to not have any idea whether the incidence of the disease really has increased or if it only seems so because more people are aware of the symptoms and are seeking veterinary attention for symptoms that, previously, might have been mistaken for “old age” and gone undiagnosed.
But, as I said in the editorial in the November issue, another thing that makes me crazy is the number of accounts that I read that lament how much they trusted the maker of the very expensive dog food they were feeding their dog – they fed it for years and years, and are now angry that the food may have contributed to the dog’s disease. I don’t think anyone should trust any company with the sum total of their dog’s nutrition for years on end!
What Does This Mean For Your Dog?
It’s important to keep in mind that even the companies whose products have been named in the FDA’s reports most frequently haven’t knowingly done anything wrong. The products have met the existing standards for nutrition, and they have not been contaminated with something that causes illness. No one has identified the cause or causes of the problem, so it’s not like the companies have failed to do something they were supposed to do. There is something – or, more likely, a few things – going on with some foods and/or ingredients.
The solution isn’t just avoiding those foods; until we know more, the solution is not feeding any food as your dog’s sole source of nutrition for years on end. If there is one thing that should be easy for us to do, it’s to switch foods at least a few times a year. Call it a hedge, call it “balance over time,” call it a hassle – whatever you call it, unless your dog is intolerant of many different ingredients, it shouldn’t be that difficult to buy a different product from a different company every other time you buy food. For most dogs, the more often you change their foods, the more robust their ability to digest different foods will become.
I agree exactly
We are really fortunate to have so many natural food choices today. I like to cook the food for my dog but that’s not always possible when we travel like going home for the holidays. So I don’t cook for him every day, I mix it up with natural grain free dry food.
I usually cook for my dog’s meal and haven’t tried giving them processed yet.
Krista,
Thank you. Radar does have allergies. We just never knew exactly what he was allergic to. Thanks for the suggestion. I just found out Taste of the Wild came out with a food with grain. I am slowly switching him onto this and see how he does. It has millet, quinoa and sorghum. Everything else is the same as his previous food.
Keep your fingers crossed that this works. Oh, I also did not mention the Vet put him on a supplement but it had oat meal, oat flour, rye flour and soy. That may have torn his gut up. I took him off it and ordered a different one.
Thanks again,
Marty
Only Hills special foods temporarily….
Natures Logic has alot to choose from.
We found out my Weimaraner has a heart murmur a month ago . We caught it early and he had an echo .
He had been on Taste of the Wild for 9 1/2 years , not because I wanted low carbs but because as a puppy we tried 5 different type foods (Iams, Science Diet, Royale Canin, Blue Buffalo ) all which gave him terrible painful gas and diarrhea. The Vet told me I had to put him on a food with grain. After researching I chose
Nature’s Logic Duck and Salmon because I felt the Millet would be easier on his gut. I switched him over a 10 day period and thought he was doing good, but a week into full new food he has terrible painful gas , vomiting up green mucous and also has it in his stools. I am not switching him to Purina Pro Plan Savor Chicken and Rice with probiotics. Any other suggestions besides the real expensive home cooked meals which I cannot afford . I feel for him. I took him off a food that his has done so well on all his life.
Marty, I also have a Weimaraner with painful gas, vomitting and bloody diarrhea. She was fine for years on Orijen, but when I switched foods the problem came up again. I’ve linked it to food allergies and did an elimination diet using Rx Royal Canin Ultamino. Then slowly added foods (1 food every 2 weeks) to find out what she is allergic to. She has many, many food allergies now confirmed (chicken, turkey, eggs, pork, dairy, rice, potatoes, and possibly salmon.) All Nature’s Logic has porcine plasma which is pork blood. My Wiem is allergic to pork, so I couldn’t feed her that food. I am home-cooking for her now. The main thing is to find a food that agrees with your dog’s GI system. If that happens to be Purina Pro-Plan-then so be it. Alternatively, you could check the ingredients on the Taste of the Wild you were feeding and try to match the same proteins/ingredients in another food, minus the peas and legumes. Both Instinct and Stella & Chewy have started making a grain inclusive food. It’s almost impossible to find a food with a single grain source so it makes it harder to identify a specific allergy if that’s what is going on with your guy. I feel for him and for you too, as I know how frustrating it can be. In my case, the GI symptoms evolved into full facial swelling and hives after eating foods she was allergic to for several months (I had no idea she had so many allergies.) Just wanted you to know that you could be dealing with allergies. Apparently, it is not uncommon for Weims to have allergies that result in GI symptoms that you’re describing. I wish you and your guy the best.
I was told by my vet that just feeding Hills Science Diet for their entire life is a good choice. But your advice here seems a lot more commonsense – dog’s are not machines and like us obviously like to mix up their diet and try different things. Our beagle got tired of the hills kibble within 2-3 months so we try him on a different dry food every couple of months now.
Only Hills special foods temporarily….
Taurine supplements do not work. My vet, along with vets in DCM forums have corroborated this. Unfortunately, there are no definitive answers – but, it seems that legumes and potato block absorption of taurine.