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.
Good article. Thanks. Instead of frequently changing our four dogs food which I’ve been told by a couple vets isn’t the best option for their systems, we feed four different brands/manufacturers of dry that contain different ingredients and varying levels of nutritional values (one chicken and rice, one turkey and barley, one salmon and potato, one 6 fish). I mix them all together in an airtight tub. It’s definitely a hassle because only a quarter of each bag fits at a time so we have four bags of food in their pantry, but they’re worth it. I feel their ribs everyday to make sure they aren’t over or under fed. Then we supplement them a ton. Fish oil, pre and probiotics, joint supplements, bone broth, pumpkin, peanut butter, baby foods of apple, blueberry, kale, spinach, etc, and packets of beef. Meal times are quite a production but I feel good knowing I’m doing the best I can regarding their diets.
I have 7 dogs, ages from 3 to 15. I have always fed them different food. Half kibble and half canned with some homemade ( sometimes leftovers on top). They have never had any problems with this. I try to buy the best that I can. I think that they enjoy this because they never know what will be served.
I hate having to use the same food; it makes sense to change things up. BUT my slim, otherwise healthy dog got pancreatitis after she got into another dog’s food during boarding. My vet recommends sticking with 1 food. What’ll I do?
Karen, I’m just a dog owner, not a veterinarian, but I’ve experienced a serious nutrition-related disease w my first dog (see my previous post). I pretty much fed my dogs the same food year after year, but DCM didn’t kill them – ultimately, cancer did. However, I now believe that switching dog food about once a year is actually a pretty good idea – PROVIDED that the alternate food agrees w your dog. Any new food must be introduced gradually, usually over a 1-day period, to avoid gastrointestinal upset. If your dog is prone to pancreatitis, you might want to look for a good quality food w low fat. My own surviving dog is prone to struvite crystals so is on a VERY high quality and expensive vet diet, but I might switch him to a regular good dog food for a while to let his system re-adjust. I’ve not yet decided, but I no longer believe that a dog should be kept on the same food for years on end.
Switching food over a 1 day period? Surely that’s a typo. I always take 10 days to switch foods when I absolutely have to switch. My dog has a long list of allergies so switching is not something I do on a regular basis unless the dog food company changes formulation.
Karen J. My mini Dachshund (runt of the litter) was diagnosed with Pancreatitis early in life and spent his whole life on a Vet. low fat food. He never had anything else. He made it happily, 8 mths. into his 17th. year. My oldest x bred lived into her 21st yr. on a variety of foods, depending on what I could afford back then. I have done so much hair pulling and research over the different opinions of a good diet and have never reached a definite conclusion. My dogs have a great quality of life, and I do the best I can with what I know re diet.
This article ignores dogs with IBD who are an highly restrictive diets and can’t easily switch foods, especially when their bodies have rejected normal proteins like turkey, beef, lamb, and chicken. And canned Duck, rabbit frequently has guar gum and other preservatives known to make IBD worse. So, please do tell, what to do in that case? Does Nancy have a vet background or speciality in treating canine nutrition?
I am in the same boat as you RR. My dog has IBD also and switching up his food could be dangerous for him. So what are we supposed to do until the cause of DCM is found ?
RR and LM: My first dog died of complications of IBD (by that, I mean I believe that the medications necessary to prolong his quality of life ultimately killed him BUT gave him a longer happy life than he would otherwise have had). The problem is that dogs w IBD have to be fed novel proteins and novel carbohydrates to which they have not become sensitized. In early years, for us, that meant using things like Natural Balance single protein foods. In later years, I had to learn to cook for him myself, changing proteins and carbs frequently and, w the help of professional nutritionists, adding the necessary micronutrients and minerals to create a balanced diet. That was hard word, but I would have done anything to help him. In the end, I believe he developed widespread lymphoma and his vet confirmed complete liver failure. But he kept his will power going until the end! It was very painful; an awful disease to have to deal w. I’m not convinced that you should worry about DCM before your IBD dog is stabilized on a diet to which his immune system has not yet rejected. JMHO.
I feed my German shepherd two different dry foods. One expensive and one middle of the road cost. Also am feed gets 1/4 can of expensive canned food and pm feed 1/4 cup of ground beef. Plus she gets a joint supplement.
She gets lots of exercise. 3 years old, 70 pounds and very muscular. I am considering adding a third dry food to add variety to her diet.
I like your plan. I throw in vegetables, pumpkin, green beans and broccoli. A
Joint supplement and bone broth. I will add the can food, beef and additional dry food. Sounds like the best of all foods.
I have always heard about feeding in a rotation but even though I have tried to go slowly over two or more weeks I seem to get dogs that are sensitive to change and end up with diarrhea. I have even found that switching treats has caused stomach issues at times.
the risk of DCM seems to be associated with potatoes or pea/legume protein and taurine deficiency, so BARF diets should be safe, right? Raw feeders tend to rotate foods anyway since adding variety is part of the standard feeding protocol. I haven’t read or heard about any of the frozen raw grinds or mixes/blends being implicated and I don’t know of any BARF model that contain legumes
I used to make a conscious effort to buy a different brand of dry food every time I ran out. That worked great up until my current Golden, who suffered several episodes of pancreatitis, vomiting and diarrhea during the first couple of years of his life. Finally the vet suggested “stop changing his food”, so I found one brand that he seemed to tolerate well and stuck with that. It’s been three more years now and he’s had no recurrence of digestive problems, but now I’m forced to feed him the same food all the time. What’s a conscientious pet owner to do?!
Maybe do some research about Taurine supplementation and then supplement if you feel it would help. You can keep the same diet with supplementation.
Bob, Listen to your vet. He went to school for a long time to be able to address your dog’s health concerns.
Susan
That is exactly my question as well since I feed a specific raw diet and rotate between duck, beef, chicken and turkey.
What about frozen raw whole prey food like Stella and Chewy’s? Should I be switching off to other frozen raw brands or to high quality kibble? I do rotate S&C’s raw among beef, duck/goose, lamb and venison patties.
From my experience (and really good vet advice) it’s not so much switching the brand as it is switching proteins (ie: beef, chicken, turkey, duck, bison, fish, although, switching brands occasionally probably doesn’t hurt either.
Susan, definitely switch between raw brands and proteins. Look brands that rely on all nutrients coming from the food ingredients, without needing to add synthetic vitamins and minerals. Primal, Steve’s, Answers, and OC Raw are good choices to add into your rotation!