June 2020 Update: A highly qualified team of board-certified veterinary nutritionists, cardiologists and PhD researchers published a literature review on DCM in dogs in the Journal of Animal Science. This review, which examined more than 200 studies, concluded that there is no definitive evidence to suggest a relationship between grain-free diets and DCM. The authors further explained that the information that has been distributed to the public thus far has largely been comprised of incomplete information and conflicting opinions. Based on their review of the literature, the authors stated it is “impossible to draw any definitive conclusions, in these cases, linking specific diets or specific ingredients to DCM.

Read Petcurean's White Paper on DCM | Click Here ▸

June 2019: The FDA is currently investigating claims that there is a connection between a heart condition called Dilated Caridiomyopathy (DCM; enlarged heart) and grain free diets in dogs. The evidence gathered by the FDA so far is not conclusive and provides no evidence that grain free dog foods cause DCM. Many of the dogs included in the study were being fed a grain free diet at the time they were diagnosed with DCM, but this does not mean the diet caused it; DCM can also be caused by genetic issues specific to some breeds. Additionally, given the increase in consumer spending on veterinary care, we may just be seeing increased reporting of DCM in dogs, not an actual increase in the disease. There is not yet enough information to conclude that the increase in DCM cases is a result of any particular diet.

At Doggie Style Pets, we believe there is no “one size fits all diet” that is appropriate for all pets and pet owners. There is also no “perfect” pet food. Feeding your pet the exact same diet day after day, year after year may magnify the flaws in any pet food brand, causing health issues. For this reason, we recommend feeding your pets a rotational diet featuring a variety of different protein sources, grains, fruits, and vegetables, where appropriate. We will continue to stock a variety both grain-free and grained diet options for both dogs and cats because we are firm believers in helping you find the best food for your pet. Every pet is different, and our friendly sales associates are always happy to discuss any concerns you have about your pets nutritional needs and point you towards a diet that will work for them.

Q: What is DCM?

A: DCM stands for Dialated Cardiomyopathy. It is a condition in which a pet’s heart becomes enlarged. It can be caused by many different factors, some of which we do not yet completely understand, including genetics and diet. We do know, and have known since the 1980’s, that DCM is particularly prevalent in some large purebred dogs like Golden Retrievers.

Q: How do I know if my dog has DCM?

A: Only a vet can diagnose DCM. If your dog is showing possible signs of DCM or other heart conditions, including decreased energy, cough, difficulty breathing and episodes of collapse, you should contact your vet immediately.

Q: How common is DCM? How many cases have been reported to the FDA?

A: Since January of 2014, the FDA has received reports of 515 cases of canine DCM. There are ~77 million pet dogs living in the US. This means that less than 1% of all pet dogs in the US have had this issue. Most of the cases reported to the FDA were in golden retrievers. Veterinary research dating back to the 1980’s shows that Golden Retrievers are prone to this issue.

Q: I’ve heard that “exotic proteins” in dog foods might be causing DCM. Is this true?

A: No. In the majority of cases of DCM reported to the FDA, the main protein in the dog’s food was chicken. The other two most common proteins were lamb and salmon, which are ingredients in hundreds of commercial dog food diets.

Q: I’ve heard that DCM might be caused by dogs not getting enough Taurine. What is Taurine? Is that true?

A: Taurine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in meat. When the protein in a dog food comes mainly from meat, this should provide enough taurine to keep the pet healthy. Dog foods where the protein is not coming mainly from meat (where the protein might be coming from peas, beans, or other legumes) may not have enough taurine. However, all of the foods tested by the FDA so far have shown enough taurine for a healthy adult dog so this may not have anything to do with the recent reports of DCM. Basically, we aren’t sure about the role of taurine in this and the most up to date research that we have says that we don’t know.

Q: I’ve heard that grain free dog foods are causing DCM and that dogs should be eating foods with grains in them. Is that true?

A: Lower cost grain-free diets tend to use plant-based proteins to increase the protein content of their foods. It was initially thought that these diets containing plant-based protein sources might not have enough taurine for a healthy adult dog, thus causing DCM. In the most recent update published by the FDA though, they noted that “The average percent protein, fat, total taurine, total cystine, total methionine, total methionine-cystine, and resistant starch content on a dry matter basis (in other words, after removing all moisture content) were similar for both grain-free labeled and grain-containing products.” Basically, this means they didn’t find any nutritional differences between grain-free and grained dog foods. This means that grain-free dog foods are probably not causing DCM.

Q: I’ve heard that these “boutique” pet food brands like the ones sold in our stores do not have a nutritionist or vet on staff to help formulate the foods and just put whatever ingredients they feel like in there. Is that true?

A: No. All of the brands that we carry employ Animal Nutritionists with PhD’s in Animal Nutrition. All of our foods are formulated to AAFCO standards which makes recommendations about which ingredients are necessary for complete and balanced animal diets.

"There is no definitive relationship between these implicated diet characteristics and DCM" | Journal of Animal Science ▸

"DCM Resources Page" | Pet Food Experts ▸

"The Bad Science and Financial Conflicts of Interest Behind the FDA Study" | Crossfit.com Investigation ▸

"Food For Thought" | Statement From Annamaet ▸

"DCM in golden retrievers is likely multifactorial" | Study by UC Davis ▸

"DCM in dogs: what do we know?" | American Veterinary Medical Association ▸

"Our Commitment to Pet Health" | Statement From Open Farm ▸