Just a few months ago we would have never asked the question “Are raw and grain free diets harming my dog and causing diet associated cardiomyopathy?” It seems diet associated dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM is on the rise with some breeds of dogs and cats. However, it is a serious concern now as there are many dogs contracting the disease where it has not previously been a problem.
First let’s have a look at what DCM is. Diet associated dilated cardiomyopathy is the term for an enlarged heart that does not function properly. When the chambers of the heart become enlarged its’ ability to pump blood efficiently diminishes causing fluid to accumulate in the lungs. The heart will eventually become overloaded and is likely to result in congestive heart failure or CHF and death. Heart disease in dogs is likely the biggest threat you will have to deal with and we hope to address it here in a way the veterinary medical community is responding to it.
In the past the cases of DCM in dogs has increased with age normally affecting specific breeds between the ages of 4 and 10 years. It was more common to see DCM in the Irish Wolfhound, Afghan Hound, Scottish Deerhound, Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, Saint Bernard and Cocker Spaniel. However, in the recent past an unusual amount of cases have been reported in mixed breeds, the Labrador Retriever and also including the Golden Retriever among others.
Symptoms of DCM can sometimes go unnoticed and your Veterinarian may give your dog a clean bill of health not knowing it has symptoms leading to DCM. If symptoms are present however you may notice fast and/or excessive breathing, coughing, your dog being short of breath, loss of consciousness, or it may not want to eat or is underweight. You may also hear crackling sounds in your dogs breathing because of fluid in their lungs. If any of these symptoms or health problems are present we recommend you schedule a vet visit right away.
There seem to be a few distinct groups of dogs which are affected by DCM.
The first group being diet associated cardiomyopathy in dogs with normal taurine levels. From the literature available at the time of writing this article, data suggests that both breeds predisposed and other breeds not predisposed eating BEG (Boutique, Exotic, or Grain free) diets have an unusually high rate of this disease.
It’s not just grain free, rather, raw diets, exotic diets, and home prepared diets are all a lot more common among dogs presenting with symptoms of DCM to the veterinary cardiology community. There is no concrete evidence pointing to the cause however it is strongly suggested that the ingredients that are used to replace the grains like exotic meats, lentils or chickpeas or other vegetables and fruits are the culprits. It is further suggested that because of the recent boom in boutique dog food companies that it may be trendy to use one but they do not have the nutritional expertise and long range history of their product that an older company might have. Just because your dog food has exotic ingredients or is a boutique or grain free diet it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better balanced diet for your dog. Contrary to the going trend, there are no health benefits of grain-free, exotic ingredient, raw or home made diets except in the rare case of a food allergy.
Raw or home made diets present their own problems in way of nutritional deficiencies. Some owners who are concerned have chosen to switch to one of these diets but DCM has been diagnosed in dogs eating raw and home made as well. In addition to the greater rate of DCM eating raw or home made diets there is the problem that the nutritional balance is rarely, if ever achieved and your dog will progress missing some of the building blocks of eating a well balanced diet. In the case of any dog eating a BEG diet, Dr. Freeman (a veterinary nutritionist and a professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University) suggests your dog eat a proven, well balanced diet from an established company which… yes includes grains.
A final point to cover regarding the groups of dogs affected are dogs with low taurine levels. It appears from the research read that supplementing with taurine does not have a great bearing on DCM in dogs. It was thought and tried by some who’s dogs had DCM and low taurine that supplementing would improve the condition. It largely did not. The research is not quite up to date as cases of DCM are presenting rather quickly and it takes time to organize and present findings which are conclusive. With a recent conversation with a local Veterinarian and also in consultation with a Veterinary heart specialist at the Ontario Veterinarian’s College in Guelph, they have both told me that although the published documents has not caught up with the findings, that dogs on raw, grain free, home made and exotic ingredient dog food diets are experiencing this heart illness at an accelerated rate than dogs on a grain inclusive diet.
So what is causing the accelerated cases of DCM exactly? The research published thus far cannot pinpoint the cause however the food and drug administration in the USA is investigating. As well, I did not ask during my conversation with the heart specialist from Guelph University. So if we don’t know exactly what is causing this then what are the recommendations to keep your dog healthy?
If your dog is showing any signs of DCM take them to your Vet straight away. Be upfront with your Vet about specifically what they are eating from their daily ration of dog food to the treats you feed them. How much, how often, etc…. As well, ask for blood plasma testing, testing for taurine levels and if the Vet believes DCM to be the case ask for an electrocardiogram and ultrasound of the heart.
Signs of the disease are a general weakness, coughing, wheezing or fainting. If you have a dog displaying these get them attention ASAP. If you have another dog in the home not showing signs you may want to have them checked as well. Especially if they were eating the same BEG diet as the affected dog. Remember, they may just have silent or less severe symptoms. There is a test called NT-proBNP which demonstrates elevated values when the heart is enlarged which may be a more cost effective way of checking for issues.
Finally, keep in mind that you will need to remove them from the food they are eating as soon as you can so that they can begin recovery and at a minimum stop the progression of the disease. Remember, it is not only dogs who are fed grain free dog foods, it is dogs on exotic, or raw – home made diets that are not balanced nutritionally. These diets as well could have some or even all of the nutrients required for your dog’s health but because of the ratio of the nutrients they are not absorbed properly. Nutritional deficiencies could reduce the heart’s normal function — or some ingredients could be toxic to the heart. Both could contribute to DCM.
So, my recommendations are a dog on a raw diet where the dog is fed a generous helping of meat or fish with no attention to balanced nutritional requirements-Remove them immediately. A limited ingredient diet where the dog does not have allergies-Remove them immediately. A grain free commercial diet-Remove them immediately. In all cases please put them on a proven, well balanced, protein rich diet including grains.
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