On Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dialated Cardiomyopathy (or DCM) has been a long running concern in the pet industry since an investigation put forth by the FDA was attempting to find a reasoning for a spike in the rare heart condition. We have written up a blog post outlining all the ins and outs of the news surrounding the investigation since the start of it, back in 2018. You can find that write-up here. This archives the history of the investigation as well as our tracking and response to the cases put forth. This will hopefully be the final update on the case, as several research panels have ruled out the main culprit put forth by the FDA, legumes and “grain free foods.”
“This study is the longest, controlled feeding study to date to assess cardiometabolic health in healthy adult dogs fed pulse-inclusive diets”
This study was funded by Champion Petfoods, the company behind Orijen and Acana with the study being conducted by scientists at the University of Guelph. Being published in a peer-reviewed pulbication such as the well respected ScienceDirect is significant as well, giving us better confidence that the study has been throroughly performed and the data put forth is enough to comfortably put the concern to bed.
Published in The Journal of Nutrition showed, in a controlled study, dogs fed a diet of 45% pulse ingredients and no grains over 20 weeks showed no indications of heart issues. The investigation took 28 Siberian Huskies for this random, controlled trail. Huskies being the choice controlled subject is notable because they are not genetically predisposed to DCM, unlike the study sample used by the FDA in 2018. This means any changes to their heart health over the trial period would reflect diet, not genetics. Each subject was randomly assigned a diet of 0,15, 30, or 45 percent pulse ingredients including green and yellow peas, pinto beans, chickpeas, and lentils. These ratios reflect common pulse compositions commonly found in commercial pet food, like those in our store. Echocardiograms were performed by veterinary cardiologist Dr. Shari Raheb in order to detect changes in the heart. Blood samples were also taken to assess cardiac biomarkers or amino acid changes.
Concerns of the most recent article have been brought up including a small sample size, conflict of interests, and the sample only including one breed. As if these weren’t all issues that were present for the initial study regarding DCM in 2018. The sample cited then was small as well, consisting of breeds who were all genetically predisposed to the condition. We have always chosen to look at biology to inform us on the state of the condition. None of which would indicate that a diet rich in meat would result in DCM.
“The results from this study suggest that increasing the inclusion of pulses up to 45% with the removal of grains and equal micronutrient supplementation does not impact cardiac function concurrent with dilated cardiomyopathy, body composition, or SAA status and is safe for healthy adult dogs to consume when fed for 20 wks.”
Overall, this study has addressed many of the glaring issues with the original DCM study conducted by the FDA in 2018. Also, this article continues to support our stance that Dilated Cardiomyopathy, or any health concerns really, can be mitigated with a diet rich in fresh meat first and foremost. Regardless of the binding agent found in your dry food, the focus should always be the meat content. This article conclusively puts to bed the supposed tie between legume rich diets and DCM. Please feel free to take a look at the article yourself, listed down below, as well as the blog post and subsequent articles published over the years concerning DCM to learn more about what the scientific process looks like here.
