Trevor Kramer says his heart skipped a beat when he learned his dogB次元官网网址檚 premium kibble might be linked to a serious heart condition.
His go-to label, Acana, tops a list of 16 brands the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says may be associated with a greater risk of canine dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. His miniature schnauzerB次元官网网址檚 preferred poultry-heavy flavour, Light & Fit, is linked to at least two reported cases.
The news happened to coincide with Kramer running low on kibble, so the Vancouver pet owner took that as an opportunity to switch three-year-old William to AcanaB次元官网网址檚 50-per-cent fish variety B次元官网网址� but he wonders if itB次元官网网址檚 safe to stick with any premium brand at all.
B次元官网网址淲e invest in a high-quality, more expensive dog food assuming that weB次元官网网址檙e giving our dog the best food available,B次元官网网址� says Kramer, a vegan whoB次元官网网址檇 prefer to cut all meat from his dogB次元官网网址檚 diet.
B次元官网网址淲hen you see a story like this your heart sort of skips a beat because it makes you wonder: Would he be better off on a cheap supermarket dog food versus this supposedly higher-quality, grain-free boutique brand?B次元官网网址�
The FDAB次元官网网址檚 latest update has intensified doubts about grain-free diets, which the federal agency first raised as a concern a year ago when it began looking into a possible food link to the deadly heart condition.
Among 515 reported cases of DCM were breeds not typically genetically prone to the disease, with the FDA noting, B次元官网网址渢he common thread appears to be legumes, pulses (seeds of legumes), and/or potatoes as main ingredients in the food.B次元官网网址�
Any possible link is described as B次元官网网址渁 complex scientific issue that may involve multiple factorsB次元官网网址� and the FDA does not suggest avoiding certain brands or diets.
Nevertheless, some veterinarians encouraged a cautious approach until more is known.
B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e seeing peas or lentils in those first five ingredients, then that diet has a significant amount of legumes and you may want to avoid it,B次元官网网址� says Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury of St. JohnB次元官网网址檚, N.L., who adds that concerned pet owners should consult their veterinarian before switching food.
Toronto veterinary cardiologist Dr. Regan Williams agreed, also dissuading pet owners from boutique and B次元官网网址渆xotic dietsB次元官网网址� that might include unusual ingredients. Several of the affected brands featured kangaroo or bison meat.
B次元官网网址淥ut of an abundance of caution right now weB次元官网网址檙e saying maybe avoid those things until we figure out exactly whatB次元官网网址檚 going on,B次元官网网址� says Williams, who works at a downtown Toronto emergency clinic.
DCM causes the heart to enlarge and have difficulty pumping, sometimes causing heart valves to leak and leading to congestive heart failure.
Other brands mentioned in the statement include Zignature (with 64 cases), Taste of the Wild (53), 4Health (32), Earthborn Holistic (32), Blue Buffalo (31), NatureB次元官网网址檚 Domain (29), Fromm (24), Merrick (16), California Natural (15), Natural Balance (15), Orijen (12), NatureB次元官网网址檚 Variety (11), NutriSource (10), Nutro (10), and Rachael Ray Nutrish (10).
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Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press
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