My dog has seborrhea. What food is safe with grain-free DCM concerns?

It's going to be hard to notice symptoms before it's too late - but signs that would be concerning are panting at odd times, decreased exercise capacity, rapid breathing while resting, and coughing. There are prescription diets that are hydrolyzed - which means the food is mechanically or chemically broken up in to such small pieces that the immune system no longer recognizes it as chicken or pork (etc). I would recommending asking your vet if one of those diets would be appropriate. If you can't find another diet that works for Padfoot, it's important to know that the risk of heart disease is low, even though it's higher for grain-free or boutique diets than others, so you have to weigh controlling allergies that cause immediate harm with the possibility of heart disease.

I certainly understand your concern. I would use a skin sensitive food like Royal Canin Dog Sensitivity. Royal Canin is not a brand of food that the FDA has implicated in this rise of heart disease in dogs.

Not only are grain free diets implicated in DCM but actual, documented grain allergies are very rare in dogs. That is all marketing hype from boutique pet food companies. I suggest you use Eukanuba large breed or Iams Proactive Adult. ( ) ( )

There is no proof that grain free diets help with anal sac issues, so I would switch Bauer off a grain free diet, especially in light of the issues with those diet and dilated cardiomyopathy. I'd put him on a diet like Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, and Iams. I'd also put him on Glandex, a supplement which can help with his anal sac issues.

With this rising problem in DCM and dogs who have been on grain free diets, at the very least I would have Roscoe seen by a vet. They can listen to his heart and do x-rays to see if there is an issue. This would be the first steps before an echo, and if there isn’t an issue, you’ve saved money. Switching to Hill’s is the best choice you could make, good job! I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I definitely understand your concern. I do think it would be best to switch them to a regular diet. There are many types out there that are affordable and good. I like the Purina Pro Plan shredded blends in that category because they are palatable, affordable and of very good quality. Good luck and have a great day!

The various sensitive skin formulas on Royal Canin's website all are listed to include grains. Royal Canin diets have not been known to correlate with the development of DCM in dogs, so I would not worry about this too much. If this diet is too expensive, consider discussing alternative options with your vet. A novel protein diet may be a reasonable option but it is hard to recommend a diet without knowing what the cause of your dog's allergies are. I recommend trying to buy larger bags as they are more cost-effective and consider price hunting on various websites.