My dog's dry food linked to heart disease. What should I feed him?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

  Veterinarian

  Published on July 6th, 2019

  We are seeing an increase in dogs developing cardiomyopathy in dogs who are grain free diets. The FDA is investigating this now, and it's believed it has to do with the ingredients used in these grain free diets like lentils to replace the grains. I have never recommended and will never recommend a grain free diet, it's a dangerous fad.

  

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• Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on July 22nd, 2018

  Hello, there has been a recent associated in grain free dog food and heart disease in dogs. The FDA has recently released a warning to the public about this recent association. Further studies are being conducted to prove this, but in the interim, it is safest to avoid feeding dog food labels as being grain free. Here is the FDA warning. Hope this helps.
  
  https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/CVMUpdates/ucm613305.htm

  

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• Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

  Veterinarian

  Published on January 3rd, 2019

  Thank you for your question about Ariel. There are no conclusive studies saying grain free diets are not safe or are completely safe at this point. There is evidence to say that not all pets are suited for a grain free diet and that some of them appear to develope heart disease potentially related to grain free diets. Food allergies occur in only 15% of pets and of that 15%, the majority of the allergies are to the protein source, not the carbohydrate (which is grain). I do not generally recommend grain free diets to my patients unless I know they have a grain allergy or have at least documented a food allergy. The most common allergies are to chicken, beef and then wheat.
  I routinely recommend a high quality diet such as Royal Canin or Purina ProPlan. If your pet does have a documented food allergy, work with your veterinarian to determine the best diet for your baby. I hope this helps!

  

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• Answered By Ana M, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on November 20th, 2018

  Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I would recommend a large breed formula based on his profile. I recommend Hill's, Purina ProPlan or Royal Canin. These are large pet food companies that do extensive research on their diets. They have veterinary nutritionists on staff as well. They ensure their diets are properly formulated by performing feeding trials as opposed to just chemical analysis in a laboratory. These are benefits not offered by smaller niche market companies. I hope this information helps!

  

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