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FDA will soon release DCM investigation update

How do I know? Because industry has already been told exactly what information FDA is releasing.

How do I know? Because industry has already been told exactly what information FDA is releasing.

A concerned industry member shared some information with TruthaboutPetFood.com; the FDA will release in July an update to their investigation of pet food related heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy – DCM). But, we were told the FDA update will be little more than a ‘data dump’, an update to how many reports of pet food related heart disease FDA has received. Industry is being told by FDA the agency has received (a total) in the range of 500 pet food related DCM case reports since January 2014.

Why tell industry first?

We were told the information about the FDA update was provided by FDA to the Pet Food Institute – the trade association representing Purina, Hill’s and Mars Petcare (among others). Why is FDA providing important information regarding a supposedly unbiased investigation to this trade association well in advance of updating pet owners?

The FDA stated in their February 2019 update they are “collaborating with a variety of components of the animal health sector to collect and evaluate information about the DCM cases and the diets pets ate prior to becoming ill.” ‘Collecting’ and ‘evaluating’ information from industry is VERY different than sharing with industry details of the FDA investigation well in advance of telling pet owners.

Did FDA intentionally give industry details in advance of pet owners to give industry time to spin the soon to be released data?

There has been a tremendous amount of ‘spinning’ being done ever since this issue came into the public view, so much so that pet owners are getting not-so-accurate information even from their veterinarians.

In the past few weeks, TruthaboutPetFood.com has received multiple emails from concerned pet owners about their own veterinarians pushing them to provide their pets ONLY grain-based pet feeds produced by either Purina, Mars, or Hill’s – some going so far as to tell pet owners these are the only brands that are safe.

One pet owner shared he was told in a face to face conversation with a veterinary cardiologist (heavily involved in the pet food related DCM investigation) “they are literally seeing thousands of new cases everyday.” This is NOT even close to true as evidenced by information released by FDA. The pet owner shared “I hate it when they try to scare me.”

Another pet owner shared she is so concerned about local vet clinics pushing pet owners to provide their pets only Purina pet foods she is considering filing a formal Cease and Desist letter with her veterinarians (opinion: it’s a great idea).

And now a pet food manufacturer has very publicly joined in the argument to the Purina, Mars or Hill’s pet food push stating his brand has been “unfairly defamed” by the suggested link of “boutique” brands of pet food to heart disease; ‘suggested’ only by some, not FDA. This manufacturer is demanding the Journal of American Veterinary Medicine Association post “Diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs: what do we know?” be removed due to it’s inaccurate information (spin?).

One of the points the above pet food manufacturer makes is the little talked about science that shows grain-based pet foods are significantly linked to DCM too.

DCM Diagnosed Dogs North Carolina State University 2015 – 2017
22 dogs – grain-free pet food
29 dogs – grain-based pet food

At a recent veterinary forum – American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) – some research was presented by Dr. Darcy Adin veterinary cardiologist of North Carolina State University. “Taurine and carnitine deficiencies are associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs.” The research states 49 dogs were diagnosed with DCM at the North Carolina State vet school between 2015 – 2017. Dr. Adin’s research found 22 dogs diagnosed were eating a grain-free diet, but…29 dogs diagnosed with DCM were eating a grain-based diet.

Dry pet food IS the #1 link

It’s puzzling that the spin of this concerning situation has been pointed to grains as almost a healing pet food ingredient when the most significant link to canine heart disease is being ignored. Greater than any other potential connection, dry dog food is by far the leading link of pet food related heart disease as evidenced by FDA in their last DCM update.

Review of the canine reports shows that the majority of reports were for dry dog food formulations, but raw food, semi-moist food, and wet food were also represented.”

Vertical bar graph shows dog food formulations in DCM Reports: Dry - 269 reports; Raw - 4 reports; Wet - 1 report; Semi-Moist - 1 report; Multiple Formulations - 14 reports; Unknown - 5 reports

Because industry was provided advance notice of the soon to be released FDA investigation update, they are probably preparing their new spin now. What a crime that FDA is providing industry advance notice of their investigation details neglecting the most important pet food stakeholder – pet owners.

The following email was sent to FDA today (6/24/2019):

We were alerted that the FDA has provided the Pet Food Institute details of a soon to be released update of the Agency’s investigation of pet food related DCM. It is more than concerning that FDA shared details of their investigation with industry well in advance of sharing those details with pet owners.

Pet owners – not industry – are the ones suffering the most from this nutritional failure of pet food. Pet owners are reporting to us that veterinarians are telling clients “they are literally seeing thousands of new cases (of DCM) everyday” and veterinarians are pushing pet owners to provide their pets ONLY a grain-based pet food made by Purina, Mars, or Hill’s. Needless to say, the focus of this situation is completely out of control.

The focus should be on the actual problem – a nutritional failure of ‘Complete and Balanced’ pet foods. We ask the FDA to keep their focus on the Complete and Balanced nutritional failure and to update pet owners in the same timely manner as they do industry.

Should the FDA respond, it will be shared.

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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34 Comments

34 Comments

  1. Hannie

    June 24, 2019 at 11:10 am

    I can’t help but think that the more expensive (& healthy) grain free dog food is really hurting the bottom line of the big pet food companies. This is why they are doing everything they can to scare pet parents into buying their formulas. Makes me angry but I’m just one little pea in a sea of pods. All I can do is continue to feed very little dry (only the grain free) & continue to cook for my dog. Somehow she’s made it to 14 yo…….gee, I wonder why…….plus I also try my best to inform the people I know so they won’t be fooled into buying the low priced junk. I thought I had seen an ad on TV for one of the biggies coming out with a grain free dry…….now why would they do that if it’s so dangerous? Hmmmmmmmm

    • alex

      July 7, 2019 at 1:14 pm

      its definitely … fishy to say the least. I joined the facebook group around this issue – its vet moderated, and anyone who discusses non-big 4 food gets shut down. ‘WE ONLY RECOMMEND THE BIG 4 HERE’. as far as I know, the WSAVA guidelines dont actually mean very much – and food trials could never go on long enough to discover something like possible DCM development. I do think legumes seem to be the culprit ( no one knows for sure yet), but I’ve switched to another highly rated brand with no legumes. I just cant seem to give my dog feed for food.

  2. Donna

    June 24, 2019 at 11:17 am

    Public relations (a press release) is not necessarily about the truth, it IS about protecting the brand and shareholder value.
    And, yes, the industry is getting the info before consumers in order to prepare their statements.

  3. Virginia M Wheelis

    June 24, 2019 at 11:51 am

    Very interesting, if you can’t trust your vet what are you supposed to do with your animals. Too many kick backs.

  4. Shane Bancroft

    June 24, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    Great article Susan. Thank you so much for your effort on this matter.

  5. Amelia

    June 24, 2019 at 12:48 pm

    I do not understand why veterinarians are recommending foods that are not species appropriate. My dog has diet induced DCM. He was on a “BEG” diet. I changed his diet since that food was heavy in legumes. Until we know for sure I was going with that assumption. I continue to have him on a grain free diet but with no legumes. (Extremely hard to find by the way) I continue to have disagreements with cardiologists and other vets about this issue. I was recently asked, “you still have him on grain free”. I stated all the issues with grains (that we all know) and she said which is worse those issues or DCM. WHAT? It has been a year since I changed his food, his DCM is slowly improving and he is still on a grain free diet and I am still supplementing him with taurine. I have asked this question “can you tell me if giving foods with grains will prevent DCM”? Basically, isn’t that what they are saying? Of course, no reply. In my opinion from everything that I read, a big problem is foods heavy in legumes (possibly potatoes), it doesn’t matter if it is a grained food or grain free. I certainly am proving this point with my dog. I am not recommending anything to anyone here. This is just my experience. But I do believe that veterinarians will continue to endorse the big pet food manufacturers since that are introduced to them early on in vet school and they continue to use those foods because they either don’t know any better, or they don’t have the time to research a better food. It is disconcerting to me that can get through extensive training of vet school but don’t take the time to research nutrition.

    • Nancy Lockmam

      June 24, 2019 at 5:55 pm

      Thank you

    • Adam

      June 26, 2019 at 5:00 pm

      Extremely hard to find indeed. What brands and formulas have you found that are grain and legume free?

      • alex

        July 7, 2019 at 1:18 pm

        not sure which brand Amelia is using but Natures Logic is wheat free, legume & pea free… and potato free. they do use millet, which is technically a ‘seed’ but is called a grain.

      • Anton

        July 24, 2019 at 8:37 am

        Sport Dog brand has formulations that are grain and legume free.

  6. Tamera Higgins

    June 24, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    I wish they would start something about the over vaccination giving small dogs big size dog’s vaccinations and having reactions down the road and over vaccinating yes rabies are required and needed but not every 3 years and not all the time if your immunity is up then that should never give a dog an injection and they’re not standing up for what’s right for our pets I believe in shots but only when they’re needed which a titer should always be getting and not an expensive cost & then of course the vets covered up with something else that happened when it’s definitely a reaction from over vaccination of our pets

    • Debbie

      July 2, 2019 at 7:35 am

      I was thinking the same. I’m reading this but also thinking about vaccinations and pediatricians. Studies and the FDA. All sounding familiar

    • Silverwynde

      July 5, 2019 at 10:57 pm

      Got a double blind, peer reviewed scientific study backing this up?

      • Dianne & Pets

        July 7, 2019 at 3:36 pm

        Ask the FDA. It is their report. Susan is just working with the data the FDA supplied. Have you ever seen a double blind, peer reviewed scientific study on dog food? I know you will find them for human drugs, and yet we still have drug recalls because it turns out they weren’t safe and the study was rushed, etc. Such studies are a start, but I wouldn’t bet my life on them.

  7. Merrily D Munson

    June 24, 2019 at 1:24 pm

    I am very familiar with DCM, and never have believed for a minute that the fact that pet food had no grain is causing this increase that we are seeing. In cats taurine is most important in the prevention of DCM. Since I made my own raw food for years and used one particular company who produced vitamins in the USA I have to wonder, if the taurine itself is the problem. When I called the company that produced the product I used and asked since they produce it in the USA where do they source their ingredients they would not answer that question. I suspect the ingredients are from China . Remembering the melamine problem from years ago I question could the taurine that the industry is using not be actual taurine?

    • Rhoda

      July 1, 2019 at 3:00 pm

      Very good point!

  8. Mary Lynn Bartram

    June 24, 2019 at 1:33 pm

    All I can say after reading is thank goodness for you Susan. Passing this information on to us pet owners so we can share this information with others is so important. How else would we know what goes on and what to avoid for our pets and others. I’ve recently switched my dog to a raw diet because I’ve read so much how it can help with dry skin issues. We are already seeing a difference in his coat after a couple of months.Its softer and his skin problems are finally healing. We thought we were doing good feeding Acana a higher quality food here in Canada but it was still dry food and our dogs weren’t eating it unless I put my cooked topper on it. So happy weve made the switch and thanks so much for the valuable information you pass on to us pet owners. I know I’d probably be still feeding crap food without your knowledge. Keep up the fight we’re behind you
    Mary Lynn

  9. Mary Rock

    June 24, 2019 at 6:07 pm

    Thank you Susan, very valuable information. Last week my Cavalier was diagnosed with DCM by a vet cardiologist and she told me I will kill my dog unless I switch him to kibble with grain. He is on a raw diet, grain and poultry free. My vet is a holistic vet and she quickly told me NOT to switch him; his diet is fine the way it is. He also has early mitral valve disease, is nearly 6 years old. Now I need to find a holistic cardiologist, if there is such a thing. I feed him Answers, then Primal, then Stella & Chewy’s, and augment with eggs, sardines packed in spring water, and bone broth with veggies. He is strong and healthy, and somehow, we will get through this. I’m very suspicious of the big dog food companies getting the study results prior to the public disclosure; suspicious of the whole study. I appreciate your tenacity in pursuing the truth for all of us.

  10. Dianne & Pets

    June 24, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    I would also want to know if all the vet nutritionist, vet schools and vet associations are getting this info at the same time. They certainly should be. Or does the FDA consider the pet food industry the best choice to provide such information to vets?

  11. Lorrie Cancillieri

    June 24, 2019 at 11:48 pm

    Attention: It is very possible that with all the recalls of pet food, the pet food companies are severely overcooking the food. I have been buying only premium “holistic” brands of canned food for 12 years for my cat, and she always ate the same varieties (different brands and different flavors). Recently (the last year or so) I’ve been noticing these same foods have an awful gray ashen look to them, barely resembling food. My cat has been not wanting to eat ANY of these same canned foods lately for a few months now. It looks and feels like straw in oil. This is DISGRACEFUL for the prices they charge! All in the name of greed and liability – it’s sickening (literally)! THIS COULD VERY WELL BE THE REASON FOR HEART PROBLEMS IN PETS — KILLING THE FRAGILE TAURINE, VITAMINS AND MINERALS BY OVERCOOKING!!!

  12. Pam McInnes

    June 25, 2019 at 7:27 am

    I work in a pet supply store that specializes in raw food and have had people come in, in a panic, because they are feeding grain free and their vet just scared the crap out of them citing that their dogs will develop DCM if they don’t changed their food. Of course, the vet tried to push their “prescription” diets.

    How is it possible that these vets are so sure when no one else is positive about what caused DCM yet?

    The answer is easy. They have found a way to promote their food and they’re going to use it. How do they sleep at night? Disgusting.

    • Dianne & Pets

      June 25, 2019 at 2:22 pm

      Since you have been feeding these same brands for years, I would wonder if the original company has been bought out, or there was a change in management to a team not as concerned about quality.

  13. Cannoliamo

    June 27, 2019 at 5:07 pm

    I received the update today …. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/news-events/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy#taurine

    My first impression is the apparent lack of detailed biostatistical analysis of the available data. Nothing reported appears to have been normalized in an effort to pinpoint contributory risk factors. For instance, the increase in DCM incidence from 2017 (3) to 2018 (320) is not correlated with the change in dry food formulation (by weight) for the brand identified during this period. A token remark about legumes being a major ingredient ….. “listed within the first 10 ingredients in the ingredient list, before vitamins and minerals” is wholly inadequate for any biostatistical correlation, causal or other. Ingredients should be categorized by weight % of the total dietary intake. There are also no controls or adjustments made to the data for breed, age, weight, blood / plasma taurine concentration or any other factor that could either help clarify or further confound the data. The conclusions (or lack thereof) are wholly inadequate with respect to the data available for assessment of the risk factors.

    A detailed biostatistical analysis of the data should be presented as an appendix to this DCM update in order for anyone (veterinary professional or other) to make sense of the data. It’s very disappointing that this analysis is unavailable at this time.

  14. Brittney

    June 29, 2019 at 3:32 pm

    I want to feed a food that’s been developed by a boarded veterinary nutritionist and that’s only provided by Hills, Purina and Royal Canin. No other pet food company employees a boarded nutritionist OR puts their food through feeding trials. Grain free food became popular when humans started the fad and for some reason now people think their pets need the same diet. Our dogs #1 allergy to food is most likely due to the protein, not the grain and not to mention the fact food allergies are the lowest on the list compared to environmental or inhalant allergens. I prefer trusting my veterinarian with recommendations on my pets instead of Steve at the Pet store. I’ve fed Hills to all my pets and they’ve all lived long healthy lives.

    • Susan Thixton

      June 29, 2019 at 4:25 pm

      That is your choice Brittney, but you will be feeding a “feed” – you won’t be feeding a “food”. Hills, Purina and Royal Canin do not make ‘food’ products – they make pet ‘feed’.

    • Shauna

      June 30, 2019 at 3:58 pm

      Agreed.

      • Erica

        July 2, 2019 at 3:39 pm

        They don’t have to employ the veterinary nutritionist to have their formulas developed by one. Employing a veterinary nutritionist can only be done by VERY large companies. Also feeding trials are 8 dogs for 6 months and 2 can drop out. Not very convincing or scientific.

    • Silverwynde

      July 5, 2019 at 11:01 pm

      Thank you. My cat got Iams for most of his life; he passed away at seventeen. My mother’s dog was on a BARF diet and died of cancer at the age of nine. Just putting that out there.

      • Terry Stones

        July 6, 2019 at 8:47 pm

        My cat at the age of two developed urethral blockage and it became severe where he had to have major surgery. It was caused by his food. He was on Iams. The vet had me switched his food to Hills Science diet and he eventually developed Hypothyroidism and diabetes. It’s all crap food.

    • Lou

      July 17, 2019 at 7:17 am

      Brittney, dogs and cats are carnivores, this means they should eat meat not kibbles. Also, many veterinarians are also recommending fresh food for our pets. Not only “Steve at the Pet Store.” In any case the many Steve’s from my pet stores are usually pushing their kibbles.

      • Carolyn

        August 28, 2019 at 1:22 pm

        Dogs are actually omnivores.

    • Gwendolyn

      October 8, 2019 at 10:16 am

      My vet, a repo specialist, raw feeds her dog. I can’t appreciate that “cold cereal” would provide all my nutritional needs…no matter how enriched as my only food.

  15. Terry Stones

    July 1, 2019 at 8:06 am

    If you look through all the reported cases of DCM, published by the FDA here: https://www.fda.gov/media/128303/download,
    You will see that Purina, Hills Science Diet, Hills Prescription diet, Pedigree, Iams and Royal Canin diets were also fed. And if you read through some of the descriptions, yes the vets seem biased as some say, “dog eating BEG diet” Seems the term has been assigned to all brands of dogs foods other than the VET recommended big pet food companies. One dog eating Purina and diagnosed with DCM and CHF states “Eating Purina Lamb and Rice – unlikely to be associated with DCM but reporting just in case”.

    One piece of information I wish they would also collect, is what type of flea and tick pesticide was being used on the dogs. Especially the oral flea and tick pesticides Bravecto and Nexgard.
    Hope this issue is solved soon.

    • Kim

      August 24, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      Agreed! They should definitely collect information on the flea and tick pesticides and other medications being taken. I’ve known a number of dogs that had seizures, death, and unusual blood issues when taking Trifexis. Clearly these may be part of the problem.

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