What is a grain-free diet?
Grain-free dog foods are those that replace grains like rice, corn, and wheat with alternate carbohydrate sources (often legumes) like lentils and peas. Many people choose a grain-free diet for their dogs because they believe they are allergic or intolerant to grains or gluten. Other claimed benefits leading to the rise in popularity include: whiter teeth, better-smelling breath, increased energy levels, and coats that are shinier and less flaky.
What’s the problem with a grain-free diet?
First off, let’s note that nothing has been fully proven regarding the allegations surrounding grain-free diets. (Just like there is no proof of the benefits of a grain-free diet.) However, there is developing research by the FDA that links grain-free dog foods to dilated cardiomyopathy or “DCM” in dogs.
Cardiomyopathy is defined as a degeneration of the heart muscle. As a result of this degeneration, the muscle becomes thinner, particularly the thick muscle wall of the left ventricle. The pressure of the blood inside the heart causes these thin walls to stretch resulting in a much larger heart. This condition is described as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
– https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dilated-cardiomyopathy-dcm-in-dogs–indepth
The FDA began an investigation in 2018 researching the potential link between grain-free diets and DCM after over 500 cases were reported between January 2014 and April 2019. Over 200 of those cases, or approximately half, had been reported between December 2018 and April 2019 alone. However, also keep in mind that their research (last updated in 2019) included a total of 524 reported cases. This is compared to the estimated 77 million dogs in the United States at that time.
The volume doesn’t necessarily speak… but the common denominators do.
Specifically speaking of the cases reported, there are a couple of striking similarities and commonalities that are hard to ignore though:
- 86% of reports were fed a dry dog food
- 91% of diets were labeled as “grain-free”
- 93% of diets contained peas and/or lentils (typical protein sources substituted in place of grains)
Of the diets in the cases reported, brand names that were specifically mentioned (in order of frequency) were *Arcana, *Zignature, *Taste of the Wild, *4Health, *Earthborn Holistic, *Blue Buffalo, *Nature’s Domain, *Fromm, *Merrick, *California Natural, *Natural Balance, *Orijen, *Nature’s Variety, *NutriSource, *Nutro, and *Rachael Ray Nutrish.
Being a Boxer-owner, another interesting piece of information I took from the report was the most frequently reported DCM cases by breed. The top ten are the Golden Retriever (95 cases), mixed-breeds (62), Labrador Retriever (47), Great Dane (25), Pit Bill (23), German Shepherd (19), Doberman Pinscher (15), Australian Shepherd (13), “Unknown” (13) and the Boxer coming in 10th with (11).
Mind you, DCM is not a particularly rare disease in dogs. However, up to this point, DCM has been studied and attributed to a genetic predisposition to the disease in certain breeds (Newfoundlands, Irish Wolfhounds, Saint Bernards to name a few). These reports being investigated by the FDA are unusual because they occurred in breeds that aren’t typically prone to the disease.
So what does this research boil down to?
Ultimately, the FDA’s warning is a word of caution. They’ve not deduced that a grain-free diet directly causes DCM, or if it’s related that there aren’t more factors involved. At the end of the day, always consult with your veterinarian about what’s best for your dog. You can find 1,000 articles online to both support or refute a grain-free diet. Read the FDA’s investigation yourself, and stick with the help of professionals (YOUR VET)! They can help you weigh the pros and cons of a grain-free (or not) diet and determine what will keep your dog happy and healthy.