FDA investigating links between grain-free dog food, canine heart disease

An FDA investigation into a popular type of dog food has many pet owners in Central Arkansas concerned. However, even more are concerned they hadn’t even heard about it.

“I’ve never heard anything about it,” said dog owner Margaret Brown at a Little Rock dog park Friday, Aug. 24.

“I feel like this should be a way bigger deal than it is,” echoed fellow dog owner, Patrick Newsome.

In July, the Food and Drug Administration announced it was investigating a link between grain free dog food and canine heart disease.

“What we are seeing are these dogs that we don’t see that much in,” explained veterinarian, Dr. Jessica Roberts. Other vets, she explained, were reporting more cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. The dogs were coming in with enlarged hearts

“It leads to congestive heart failure and that is fatal if not controlled. It can also lead to arrhythmias, where you may not have any warning signs. They can have a fatal arrhythmia out of no where,” the vet said of the potential risk.

The common denominator: the dogs were eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds or potatoes as the main ingredients.

“Right now the FDA does not have a list of brands or specific dog foods, they’re just saying to avoid certain foods,” said Dr. Roberts when asked if there were certain brands dog owners should avoid.

Typically large and giant breeds like Great Danes, Boxers and Dobermans are more likely to have DCM. Reported cases to the FDA include Retrievers, Shih Tzus and Schnauzers.

“I thought grain-free was probably the way to go and it’s healthier, so to hear that it might not actually be healthier is very concerning,” Brown said of the dangers.

“Honestly, a lot of it has been advertising,” Brown explained. “This has been coming on, honestly, for the last 10 years. It’s kind of a fad, like gluten in people. But some people think that skin issues get better, intestinal issues get better, ear infections, things like that.”

If you want to change your dog’s diet, Dr. Roberts said it cannot be abrupt. “You don’t want people to panic and go buy a new food, do it quickly, and we see other issues like pancreatitis; diseases that we have to hospitalize for.”

She said to mix the new food and the old for two weeks before making the change, and if you feed your cats grain free, no need to worry right now. They’re not included in the investigation.

The link between grain free dog food and DCM hasn’t yet been proven, but the FDA encourages talking to your vet if you’ve fed your dog grain free food.