The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting pet owners and veterinary professionals about reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients.
The FDA issued the following pet food consumer alert today (July 12, 2018):
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting pet owners and veterinary professionals about reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. These reports are unusual because DCM is occurring in breeds not typically genetically prone to the disease. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, a collaboration of government and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, are investigating this potential association.
Canine DCM is a disease of a dog’s heart muscle and results in an enlarged heart. As the heart and its chambers become dilated, it becomes harder for the heart to pump, and heart valves may leak, leading to a buildup of fluids in the chest and abdomen. DCM often results in congestive heart failure. Heart function may improve in cases that are not linked to genetics with appropriate veterinary treatment and dietary modification, if caught early.
The underlying cause of DCM is not truly known, but is thought to have a genetic component. Breeds that are typically more frequently affected by DCM include large and giant breed dogs, such as Great Danes, Boxers, Newfoundlands, Irish Wolfhounds, Saint Bernards and Doberman Pinschers. It is less common in small and medium breed dogs, except American and English Cocker Spaniels. However, the cases that have been reported to the FDA have included Golden and Labrador Retrievers, Whippets, a Shih Tzu, a Bulldog and Miniature Schnauzers, as well as mixed breeds.
Diets in cases reported to the FDA frequently list potatoes or multiple legumes such as peas, lentils, other “pulses” (seeds of legumes), and their protein, starch and fiber derivatives early in the ingredient list, indicating that they are main ingredients. Early reports from the veterinary cardiology community indicate that the dogs consistently ate these foods as their primary source of nutrition for time periods ranging from months to years. High levels of legumes or potatoes appear to be more common in diets labeled as “grain-free,” but it is not yet known how these ingredients are linked to cases of DCM. Changes in diet, especially for dogs with DCM, should be made in consultation with a licensed veterinarian.
In the reports the FDA has received, some of the dogs showed signs of heart disease, including decreased energy, cough, difficulty breathing and episodes of collapse. Medical records for four atypical DCM cases, three Golden Retrievers and one Labrador Retriever, show that these dogs had low whole blood levels of the amino acid taurine. Taurine deficiency is well-documented as potentially leading to DCM. The Labrador Retriever with low whole blood taurine levels is recovering with veterinary treatment, including taurine supplementation, and a diet change. Four other cases of DCM in atypical dog breeds, a Miniature Schnauzer, Shih Tzu and two Labrador Retrievers, had normal blood taurine levels. The FDA continues to work with board certified veterinary cardiologists and veterinary nutritionists to better understand the clinical presentation of these dogs. The agency has also been in contact with pet food manufacturers to discuss these reports and to help further the investigation.
The FDA encourages pet owners and veterinary professionals to report cases of DCM in dogs suspected of having a link to diet by using the electronic Safety Reporting Portal or calling their state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators. Please see the link below about “How to Report a Pet Food Complaint” for additional instructions.
As reminder to consumers, the pet food industry began utilizing pea protein, pea starch and pea fiber ingredients in pet foods without ‘official permission’. Pet food regulations require that all ingredients go through an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) process prior to their use in pet food/treat products. That ‘process’ is discussion at AAFCO to ingredient safety (with State Feed Officials and FDA), and properly defining the ingredient. But…pet food ingredient suppliers and pet food manufacturers ignored that requirement and flooded the market with grain-free pet foods for years BEFORE the ingredients were ever discussed and/or defined at AAFCO. Not one State Department of Agriculture stopped them – FDA did not stop them. Both agencies scolded ingredient suppliers and pet food manufacturers at one AAFCO meeting, but not one authority took regulatory action to stop the use of a (basically) illegal ingredient. Years after their use, AAFCO defined the ingredients which approved their use in pet food. And now – those very ingredients are under FDA investigation.
Wouldn’t it have been better to investigate the safety of these ingredients PRIOR to allowing their use in pet food?
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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LILI
July 12, 2018 at 8:26 pm
They may only have to do something about this because these crappy ingredients cause death sooner, through heart failure, rather than later, through organ failure or cancer, like many other garbage ingredients do. Can’t have people being able to draw a direct line between food and illness. Slow poisoning that can’t be definitively traced is what the FDA and pet food companies are comfortable with.
T Allen
July 12, 2018 at 9:22 pm
Of course it would have been better to get it approved first but that takes years and people wanted less grains so they had to move quickly to keep their market share. As we all know, it’s only about the money.
Linda Horn
July 12, 2018 at 11:10 pm
Low taurine levels were linked to DCM in cats years ago, so it may be a similar mechanism at work in dogs. Obviously, plant proteins do not have the same amino acid profile as animal proteins, so it would be nice to know just how much of the protein in the suspect dog feed is animal-derived versus plant-derived. Any clues as to whether the FDA will investigate any further? I know it took research funded by a non-profit organization to find the original link between low taurine levels and DCM in cats.
Catherine
July 15, 2018 at 9:29 am
What I found interesting is that the majority of the reported cases had normal blood levels of taurine, meaning there is likely a different cause in this case (although like you said with the different amino acid profile of legumes and potatoes that just might not be thorough enough to rule out that it is in fact a taurine issue). So interesting the short history of pet food and how we learn so much through trial and error instead of research. Ugh.
Lynn
October 4, 2018 at 10:59 am
Legumes are known as antinutrients and can block absorbtion of nutrients, not just taurine
Chris
July 13, 2018 at 1:35 am
I’ll check labels for peas in the future and adjust the diet. This somewhat reminds me of the time I figured out the soy free kibble I was feeding was causing problems with my spayed older female lab/sharpei mix. She couldn’t control her urine while sleeping so would jump up from a soaked bed confused. The vet would probably prescribe proin which has some nasty side effects. I tried soy supplements and switched foods and the problem went away on its own.
Peter
July 13, 2018 at 7:13 am
So many manufacturers are no dependent upon peas/pea proteins… as you work to ensure consumer awareness of this issue, it will be interesting to see how it impacts the industry.
Peg
July 13, 2018 at 6:30 pm
The lack of taurine in the diet is a large part of the problem in my opinion.
Vegetable/pea proteins and vegetable legume proteins have no taurine
Cooking the crap out of everything destroys the nutrients also
Taurine is an essential amino acid that is cardio protective and protects the eyes as well. Taurine added to canned food is destroyed by the manufacturing process
I supplement my cats’ raw diet with taurine
My friend supplements her dog’s canned “cooked” diet with taurine added to his food
We get our taurine from Alnutrin
Knowwhatyoufeed.com
Shelby
August 3, 2018 at 8:22 pm
hey Peg, where do you get your taurine supplement and how do you know how much to give daily?
Peg
August 4, 2018 at 9:52 am
Hi Shelby
The taurine I get is called Alnutrin
The website is knowwhatyoufeed.com
Have been using Marta’s supplements for at least 10 years now. Her taurine comes from Japan
I do 1/8 tsp once daily mixed in raw/wet food for each of my 6 cats. I have 4 enormous Maine Coon rescues and 2 smaller kitties
The good thing about Taurine is, it is a water soluable amino acid. Any excess the body does not need is excreted via the urine. I take 1000mgs myself
Diane Harrell
July 13, 2018 at 7:22 pm
Why is the concern only for dogs eating this ingredient…what about our cats, ferrets, etc?
Jamie Turner
July 14, 2018 at 9:21 am
Hi Susan, we made the switch to Open Farm after purchasing the list a few months ago. The ingredients do contain peas though, do you have any insight on this? We want to make sure we’re giving our boys the healthiest option we can. Thank you!
Shelby
August 3, 2018 at 8:25 pm
I’ve been wondering the same. Open Farm is much higher in meat content and more of the protein is from meat than other grain free foods, and has field peas- not pea protein, but I’m still curious
Reese
August 16, 2018 at 5:07 pm
Open farm contains way too many legumes. Usually 3-4 legumes and very close to the top of the ingredient list. It’s the reason I didn’t buy it for my dog. I wanted a meat based kibble.
Susan Taylor
July 14, 2018 at 9:29 am
The report on peas, potatoes, and lentils linked to causing DCM, does not specify if it is green peas or chick peas. Does it matter? I have added peas and carrots to my dogs diets for an extra filler, because my Boxer seems to not get full, but I have not done that in a while, I turned to broccoli, so I just wanted to know just to be safe as to not do that anymore. I use Dr. Tim’s Metabolite kibble mixed with The Farmers Dog Turkey recipe.. Good choice or not? Appreciate your advice, as I really do rely on your recommendations. Thank You.
Ms. B Dawson
July 14, 2018 at 12:27 pm
A couple of things crossed my mind as I read this. Let me preface my comments with this – I haven’t yet read the FDA advisory itself.
There is a vague statement that the affected dogs “frequently” ate foods containing the suspected ingredients and no mention of what brands. At this time food seems to be the common thread but not a slam dunk.
What is the total number of dogs involved? The only numbers I saw were the four specifically mentioned atypical breeds with taurine deficiency. The number of dogs affected and under study is important to determine the level of concern. If it’s 100 dogs, that’s not many given the amount of food with these ingredients. If it’s thousands, that’s different.
If the numbers are in fact small, I have to ask the reason FDA has singled out this health threat when they have moved at a glacial pace on other’s that have affected thousands of pets over years. Could it be an attempt to open up opportunities for companies who believe ground yellow corn or corn gluten meal are acceptable ingredients? Think about what the consumer reaction will be to this. Many will reflexively abandon food with these ingredients and look for other options. How many will follow the FDA recommendation to change their dog’s diet in consultation with their vet? We all know what brands are going to be recommended!
The other thing that bothers me is the taurine deficiency. Taurine is a heat sensitive AA and doesn’t survive well in the extrusion process. Consequently pet food – dog and cat – is supplemented with taurine to assure proper levels. I would assume if one brand predominated, FDA would have looked for taurine deficiencies in that brand and issued a more selective alert/recall. This suggests to me that other things were going on with these particular dogs.
I agree that FDA allowed unapproved ingredients on the market, one more failure on their part. Or is it? My suspicion is they take the “give them enough rope to hang themselves” tact, sit back and then wait for opportunities such as this. It is a very cost efficient way of doing things when you are an underfunded organization. The testing is done on the public at large and Congress sees disgruntled voters. FDA then gets to complain about lack of funding and away we go….
Claire
July 14, 2018 at 4:56 pm
Well stated B Dawson and I was about to post similar comments but you already made my point!
Nancy
July 16, 2018 at 10:19 am
Ditto! You wrote my thoughts exactly!
Brenda
July 26, 2018 at 4:55 pm
EXACTLY! Kind of disappointed on this post, to be honest. Since when do we all of a sudden trust the FDA???
Susan Thixton
July 26, 2018 at 5:22 pm
Brenda – I was reporting on what the FDA is doing. I did not say I had faith in the agency.
Brenda
August 15, 2018 at 2:11 pm
You’re bring the “issue” to life.
Shelby
August 4, 2018 at 4:51 pm
I have similar skepticism. Are they talking about grain free foods with very little meat that are heavy on pea protein and potatoes or foods like open farm that have a high meat content with most of the protein coming from the meat? Dr. Jean Dodd’s put out an interesting reaction to the study, also citing studies from 2003 in which 12 out of 19 newfoundlands eating a lamb and rice diet were taurine deficient. She also cites a 2006 study in which taurine deficiency could be related to the lack of bioavailability in the amino acids of meat meals due to heat processing and rendering. Another 2006 study found that beet pulp showed the most significant effect in lowering plasma and whole taurine concentrations in part by decreasing protein digestibility. The study is so incredibly inconclusive, small, and uncontrolled, how could anyone know what to take away from it? All I know is that I work in a small pet store and the number of people going back to Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin and Science Diet is nuts.
Reese
August 16, 2018 at 5:04 pm
Open farm relies heavily on legumes for their protein. Look at their pork and root vegetable recipe. Garbanzo beans are the second ingredient after pork. Fresh pork also has about 70% moisture, so once you take the moisture out, there is probably not much pork in this recipe at all. I would say a very significant portion of the protein on the label comes from legumes. (Most of their recipes have about 4 different legumes in it very close to the top of the ingredient list.)
Nicole
September 8, 2018 at 11:53 pm
Hit the nail in the head. Thank you.
Terri Christenson janson
July 14, 2018 at 1:28 pm
I have started adding taurine to my dogs home cooked and kibble supplement diet recently after my group suggested it. 1 tsp per 50 pound dog.
Lori Guthrie
July 14, 2018 at 3:28 pm
Another idea is one thing that is rarely discussed or thought about – how many of these dogs were or are walked primarily with a collar versus a harness. It is proven that when a dog pulls even a little bit it causes stress on their trachea as well as compromise their breathing which in turn can cause stress on their heart. It also reduces the oxygen levels to their eyes –
Memory Armstrong
July 16, 2018 at 5:56 pm
Have any of these dogs been tested for Chagas Disease. Chagas can be asymptomatic, so the dog may not show other signs of Chagas. This disease affects the heart and a death from Chagas looks like DCM. It is spread by coming into contact with the droppings of the Kissing Bug which is prevalent throughout the South.
Ro
October 11, 2020 at 9:32 am
I wonder about this too. I lived in a rural area of Texas for a year with my dog and we had many kissing bugs in and around our house. Fast forward three years and he just died of dilated cardiomyopathy. They said it may have been diet related but he did have normal taurine. He passed away within three days of diagnosis and wasn’t tested for chagas and we have since moved to Massachusetts, so I doubt the vets would think to check for it. I had no idea about chagas disease until after he died and I started doing research.
Ms. B Dawson
July 25, 2018 at 11:43 pm
The NYT published an article on the 24th about this. All the problems in the PFI and THIS is what they devote not just text to but three full color photos.
Susan Thixton
July 26, 2018 at 8:49 am
I so agree!!!
Brenda
July 26, 2018 at 4:53 pm
You’ve written in the past about the FDA’s faulty studies… what makes you think this is any different?? The study was probably funded by Royal Canin or another big kibble company. I’m not buying it. Until the FDA comes out with a more conclusive study, I’ll continue feeding grain free Honest Kitchen.
Ms. B Dawson
July 30, 2018 at 12:34 pm
Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM has published her response to this FDA warning. It is a research based, commonsense piece that is well worth reading. Take the time to read through the research abstracts – it will broadly increase your thinking about nutrition.
Dr. Dodds also appears to be addressing comments in the NYT article, putting them in perspective, something that unfortunately won’t reach those who misinterpret the information the NYT published.
https://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/176405475391/fda-dog-heart-disease#.W1849q2ZNsN
Scarlett G.
October 23, 2018 at 12:59 pm
Hi Susan – I purchased your 2018 list, which includes open farm as one of your approved foods that you’d feed your pets. Since this news I am concerned. I didn’t see you mention this in your article specifically. What is your opinion? I contacted open farms directly and was told that the FDA has not reached out to them, however, their ingredient list includes a high legume content (usually second ingredient on the list). My dogs have been on grain-free diets since they were adopted 9-10 years ago.
JakesDad
March 6, 2019 at 11:13 am
is there any dry kibble that is the least offensive that I could buy? This is not about price
what brands or brand or none at all?