Major Food Brands that Could Cause Heart Failure

 

Choosing a dog food must be the hardest decision faced as a pet parent. Besides choosing a trusted Veterinarian. You are always questioning is this food healthy enough? Is the brand reputable? Does it have all the nutrients my dog needs? Most dog food companies use visual marketing to make the decision of choosing a food easier. These companies do this by highlighting “GRAIN FREE” or “NATURAL” dog food, or even posting great pictures of dogs on their food or ads. Well the FDA dug deeper and heres what they found.

In July of 2018, the FDA informed the public about an investigation they were conducting that found a possible association between dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and dogs eating certain foods.

DCM is known as the disease in a dog’s heart muscle, which can result in congestive heart failure.

 

Typical breeds that are affected by DCM according to the FDA are, large and giant dog breeds. However throughout the investigation, of the 524 cases that were reported the FDA did find cases involving small dog breeds. The FDA suggested of these smaller breed dogs they are suspecting they had a lack of genetic connection.

In many of the cases the FDA researched the food linked to DCM was dry food, and contained ingredients such as peas, lentils, potatoes and sweet potatoes. Other foods they found linked to DCM were foods that were grain-free.

 

The following dog brands were reported to have the most DCM cases according to the FDA:

  • Acana: 67

  • Zignature: 64

  • Taste of the Wild: 53

  • 4Health: 32

  • Earthborn Holistic: 32

  • Blue Buffalo: 31

  • Nature’s Domain: 29

  • Fromm: 24

  • Merrick: 16

  • California Natural: 15

  • Natural Balance: 15

  • Orijen: 12

  • Nature’s Variety: 11

  • NutriSource: 10

  • Nutro: 10

  • Rachel Ray Nutrish: 10

 

The FDA is asking pet owners to reach out to their Veterinarians of Veterinary Nutritionist to receive proper dietary advice and seek food options that are best for their pet and their pets specific health and lifestyle needs.

 

Although choosing a food for your pup may be one of the harder decisions, it doesn’t always have to be. Consult with your Veterinarian or a Certified Veterinary Nutritionist to figure out the best food and diet your dog should be on. There are many options that you can be educated about you just have to seek help, and not fall for food brands awesome visual marketing.














Health + WellnessAdrianna Rositashealth, wellness, dogblog, buzzfeeddogs, food