Every animal is different and has different dietary needs. This is why we see so many different options of pet food lining the shelves of grocery stores and pet shops across the country. Grain-free foods are becoming quite trendy and the advertisements featuring beautiful wolves are quite appealing. That being said, these foods may not be the best option for your pet.
Our own veterinarians have had plenty of experiences with owners whose dogs became overweight due to the owners’ lack of knowledge on portion sizes after switching to a grain-free food, but a new study shows a potential link between these grain-free foods and a heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in certain breeds.
See, the heart needs an amino acid, the building blocks for protein, called taurine. Taurine one of the key ingredients in allowing the heart and other muscles to contract. Cats can’t make taurine on their own, so they need to get it from their diet. Dogs, on the other hand, have varying ability to make taurine based on breed.
Recently, Dr. Joshua Stern, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Cardiology) at UC Davis found a correlation between Golden Retrievers with DCM being fed grain-free diets. He began running tests to determine if these dogs had low taurine counts and found this to be true. He also noted that some home-made diets and boutique brands were also low in taurine. He hypothesizes that he is seeing this particular effect on a dramatic level in Golden Retrievers due to this specific breed not being able to create taurine as well, so Golden Retrievers need it from their diet.
While there are other causes of DCM (i.e. certain breeds are prone to developing DCM as a hereditary condition, such as Doberman Pinschers), taurine-deficiency induced DCM is an easy fix.
Perhaps there are other breeds that are more prone to DCM from taurine deficiency that we have not studied yet. We highly suggest consulting with your veterinarian to see what food they think would be best for your specific pet’s lifestyle and health.
For more information, please check out these articles by Veterinary Cardiology Specialists and Morris Animal Foundation.