Sometimes, not the entire truth about the dog food uproar on Grain Free foods is published. Things are left out, and the media (as a whole) just writes stories about the condensed version of the whole story. So here is the most recent feedback as to the Taurine/DCM (dilated cardiomyopthy) stories going around the internet.
1) The media reported a story in 2018 telling pet food owners to avoid grain free foods because there were dogs developing Dilated Cardiomyopthy (DCM) and some were dying. DCM is a weakening of the heart wall which makes the heart unable to pump enough blood into the body, and this creates a fluid buildup and can cause congestive heart failure. The disease DCM has always been far more common in large breed dogs such as Shepherds, Great Dames, Retrievers, Mastiffs, and other large framed canines. But now it was showing up in small breeds and canines not usually tied to the disease. At that time, reports from veterinarians were that a majority of these dogs were on the new Grain-Free diets. No studies had been assembled at this point.
2) DCM can be caused by a number of factors, but diet can absolutely be one of them. Since smaller breeds were now showing up with DCM, studies were conducted by many major institutions. They collated all the veterinarian data collected at offices when DCM was discovered. But actual live dog controlled study groups were not yet started. All the evidence started pointing to the amino acid Taurine which is essential in heart health in humans and mammals. A lack of Taurine causes DCM and is obtained through the ingestion of red animal proteins (meat). Grain Free formulas were adding exotic meats like kangaroo, bison, deer, and other meats plus adding LEGUMES. Legumes are vegetables like peas, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, lentils. These are good proteins in humans, but are not good enough proteins for animals, and the new dog food manufacturers of these boutique brands of grain free had not long term testing of this in these meats and how digestible they are in dogs.
3) A chemical component of legumes, when digested by humans, is called LECTINS. Lectin is contained in all legumes and in its' raw form can be considered an irritant to the digestive tract and be responsible for problems like Celiac Disease,and Gluten issues. Proper processing of cooking legumes at a high heat will all but destroy the LECTINS and maintain the valuable protein and starches from the vegetable. But no research had been done on the effect these had on dog nutrition.
4) Lectins can block the absorption of Taurine in humans and mammals and cause major gastrointestinal inflammation if not processed properly. So the question still remains if these boutique diet manufacturers are processing the ingredients properly before packaging. A study group that is analyzing the addition of legumes to a canine diet is finding that some dogs eating grain free are getting DCM. They also showed lowered Taurine levels. In the same group other dogs were on grain inclusive diets which showed they had DCM but NORMAL levels of Taurine in their blood. Another set of dogs had grain free and NO DCM, yet Taurine was low.
So right now, the original studies were saying NO GRAIN FREE. Other subsequent studies which were more in depth showed that dogs NOT ON GRAIN FREE diets were also getting DCM. So that eliminates grain-free foods as a culprit. What all groups did find was that all formulas were containing some types of peas, pea flour, pea starch, garbanzos, chickpeas, or lentils in their formulation. Harder yet are US labeling standards do not require the disclosure of the total percentage of protein animal-based vs Plant based like they do in Europe and EU countries. For example, Farmina Grain Free N&D Lamb, Pumpkin and Blueberry kibble states that 96% of the protein is derived from ANIMAL sources. So far no reports of DCM in Farmina based diets have been reported.
Studies are ongoing but the recommendation of SchnauzerLife.com is to keep with foods that DO NOT have any legumes in the first 7 ingredients. Dogs eat a diet of MEAT and MEAT products. Replacing these proteins with cheaper plant based proteins is coming under more and more scrutiny as DCM cases continue to grow.
