Dog Food and DCM/Heart Disease

Dog Food and DCM The issue of dog food is a HUGE topic and of great debate. I am not here to debate dog foods. I am here to simply state MY opinion. You are free to have your own. However, if you have a SER puppy, I strongly encourage you to consider my experience and advise as I know my lines and my dogs very, very well and I know how they do on many different dog foods. Moving along.... dog foods used to simply be what you purchased at the super market. I remember growing up there just weren't many options in dog food. Everyone pretty much fed Dog Chow or a couple other brands. That was it. Then entered Kibbles and Bits... wow, 'fancy' dog food and the dogs thought it was candy. :) Healthy? Well, I guess that question never even got asked by most people. Dogs were dogs and you fed them dog food and maybe some table scraps. Enter the new market.... dogs are no longer dogs, human companions. Dogs are now FAMILY. Dogs no longer have a subservient position in our home, they are now equal family members. We devote as much to the dog as we do to the humans. Dogs have somewhat morphed into mini hairy humans. Dogs have very much become anthropomorphized. We now place human qualities on our pets. Yes, we love them, and I'm not saying we shouldn't. Obviously I LOVE my dogs as family. They are the center of our home, they enjoy all the benefits of our home. They are fed excellent, sleep in our beds, go on vacation with us and even enjoy a few human food treats such as veggies, which they love. The problem.... when we started making dogs mini-humans we also started looking at their foods differently. Suddenly dry kibble wasn't enough. The ingredients in the kibble needed to sound good and healthy TO US. It all made sense and we all fell for the very creative marketing that made US feel better about what we were feeding our little furry mini-human family members who we dearly love and only want the very best for. The problem, unknown to us, is that dogs metabolize things differently than humans and dogs have different nutritional needs than humans. So, while our dogs may be family, they simply cannot eat what a human considers a balanced diet. If they do, they will become sick. The BIGGER problem....... a decade later and Veterinary Cardiologist are starting to notice a very large increase in the number of patients presenting with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) which is an enlarged heart. The problem with DCM is that typically it presents without symptoms until the patient simply crashes to the floor with a life-threatening cardiac event of heart failure. Some breeds are predisposed to genetic DCM such as Doberman Pinchers. However, Veterinary specialist were noticing DCM in all breeds and mixed breeds. The Golden Retrievers were the first to begin investigating the problem, as they were having large numbers of dogs dying at a young age from non-genetic DCM. However, all breeds were being seen with a different form of DCM. You see, genetic DCM is not curable, the patient will progressively get worse and die. However, with nutritional DCM, with proper medical care and diet change, the patient can return to normal heart function if caught early enough, before permanent heart damage has set in. Upon further investigation Veterinary specialist discovered that all the dogs presenting with DCM were also being fed Boutique, Exotic or Grain Free diets (BEG). None of the dogs being fed diets that have research behind the diets were showing up. Boutique refers to small companies making dog foods which do not do research on their products prior to releasing the product for consumers. (Guess what, that means YOUR dog is their research laboratory. No, they didn't tell us that or we would have thought twice about feeding that food to our dogs.) Sadly many dogs, including Havanese, are dying early deaths to CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) and enlarged hearts. This, my dear friend, is also known as Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), which results in congestive heart failure, leaky valves, heart murmurs and eventual death. Many dogs are simply dying of 'heart disease' at a young age and their precious families are completely unaware that their dog food has actually stolen many years off the life of their beloved dog. This simply should not be! Research VS Dog Food Advisor: Dog Food Advisor has been a 'go to' for many pet families in order find a 'quality' food for their furry family member. Dog foods are rated by quality and given a 'star' system for how good or not so good they are. Sadly, we were not told that this site is ran by a human dentist who has no training in canine nutrition. All reviews are purely based on an ingredient list, with very poor assumptions about what is 'good' or 'bad' based on one persons personal views that are very much based on human nutrition. None of the information is research based on canine nutritional needs. Now, who knew that some dog foods have actually had years of research behind them? Who knew that some dogs foods are actually developed by a whole team of veterinary/animal nutritionist? Who knew that if the dog food didn't pass the testing it would be reformulated and again tried and the formula would not be allowed to be provided to the consumer until the formula was PROVEN to provide complete and balanced nutrition? I always thought the 'formulated to meet AAFCO standards' meant the food was healthy. WRONG. If the bag doesn't say 'has passed AAFCO feeding trials' then it hasn't actually been researched, tested and proven to provide complete and balanced nutrition. It simply means the ingredients have the potential to provide the required nutrients, however, it does NOT tell you if the dogs actually can metabolize the product in order to gain the nutrients required for complete and balanced nutrition. That is what FEEDING TRIALS are for. Who knew? Confusion.... and somehow these research based, tested, and proven dogs foods are being rated very poorly on DFA while the untested, unproven, but very cleverly marketed brands are scoring high marks. Pet owners no doubt want to do the very best for their pet. They can buy the very expensive BEG diets and feel good because marketing tells them how good it is. Or, they can buy the 'crap' food which scores terrible and feel like they are somehow letting their dog down. EXCEPT.... that very poorly scored food may actually be the food that is HEALTHY and has passed the research and testing to prove it. How does this happen???? Why did we not know???? How could we have been so deceived and fooled into feeding our dogs foods which ultimately could cause them to die an early death? TRUTH Now... everyone is allowed to have their opinions. I certainly have mine. However, there are opinions based on research and there are opinions based on whatever one wants to think. Personally, I am sticking with science and research. The current DCM crisis is real. Real live dogs have died. People are devastated to loose their beloved pet. Some dog foods have been researched, tested and proven to be healthy for dogs and are not implicated in nutritional DCM. Some dog foods have not been researched and are implicated in causing nutritional DCM in dogs. It started out thinking dogs had low taurine, which was causing the DCM. However, further research shows that not all dogs with nutritional DCM will present with low taurine, this is especially true with toy dogs. However, they are still getting nutritional DCM. It is not yet known exactly what the factors are that are causing this, however, it is known that it is nutritional, that BEG diets are at far greater risk, and that it has something to do with the dogs not being able to process the nutrition within the BEG diet. BEG diets have not been researched or studied to prove they provide complete and balanced nutrition. Yes, that really does mean your dog is their research project. Sadly, because they are not closely monitoring like true feeding trials, many, many dogs will become sick and the link will not be known. The problem is not the actual ingredients in the food, the problem is that most manufacturers are not doing the research to determine digestibility and bio-availability of the food to determine if the ingredients are actually providing complete and balanced nutrition. It's not just the grain free formula's, it's also grain inclusive formulas produced by dog food companies that do not do feeding trials on their foods. Without feeding trials, they have no idea if the dog can actually use the ingredients to maintain health. Like it or not, many dogs are dying an early death from heart disease because of the foods we are feeding them. Yes, many Havanese are dying of nutritional heart disease. Some may call it DCM, some may call it CHF, it may also present with heart murmurs and leaky valves as an enlarged heart simply cannot work efficiently and the entire cardiovascular system begins to break down under the pressure of the enlarged heart. Please, my dear friend, take this seriously. Many will debunk this issue with their own thoughts, however, the truth is, many dogs are dying every day due to nutritionally induced heart disease. I personally do not want that to be my dog. Thankfully a few are catching it early and are able to reverse the damage by changing the dogs diet. It is simply not worth the risk. SOLUTION Let your dog be family. Let your dog sleep in your bed. Let your dog eat some healthy treats from your plate (less than 10% of daily intake). Love your dog. Feed your dog like a DOG, not a human. Trust the manufacturers who spend millions of dollars on researching canine disease as well as canine nutrition. Trust the manufacturers who spend their money doing research and feeding trails to assure the dog food you feed your dog is actually going to provide the nutrition they need and help them be healthy. As for me and my dogs, I will no longer settle for any less. You can read all the blogs on how the research is faulted, how the research is biased, etc. I am not taking a chance on my dogs. Unless you have researched proof that a dog food is healthy, I'm not taking anyones word for it. I would be happy to consider any of the BEG brands if they begin to put their money into researching their products and proving through scientific feeding trials to prove their foods are healthy, provide complete and balanced nutrition and are metabolized properly by dogs so they can receive the nutrition. If they don't do this, they won't get my money. My dogs are worth it. Have you ever wondered why Veterinarians recommend foods like Pro Plan and Royal Canin? I guess I never wondered. I was 'told' it was because they make money off it. Likely they do not. They like the SCIENCE and RESEARCH behind these brands of dog food. Yes, they may even sell it. But if they do, it is likely because they actually believe in the food. My vet feeds and recommends Pro Plan. She does not sell it other than veterinary formulas, which she sells all the veterinary brands depending on your particular dogs needs willingly sends the prescription to Chewy for home delivery. However, she sees that dogs actually do well on it. Shame on me for listening, but not following through in a more active manner. I kept trying new things, trying to find something better, but every brand failed in some way. Doing this I put all my dogs at risk. My only goal in feeding my dogs is to have healthy dogs. Period. I no longer care about what food is 'cool', 'highly rated', or 'makes my puppy families happy'. I care about health, period.

Our Story I 'thought' I was feeding good quality, healthy dog food made by a small family manufacturer with human grade ingredients. Thankfully, my dogs told me the food was not good for them, their coats became course, they developed yeasty ears and paws, their skin became dry, and on some of the foods their blood panels even changed and became abnormal. Sadly, it was too late for one of our sweet Havanese who was eating the same foods as my personal dogs. She had been fed a combination of Fromms then Taste of the Wild and had recently been changed to Anamaet when she had a sudden cardiac event which led her to the ER and it was discovered she had DCM. I had never heard of such a thing and began to fervently research it and discovered the dog food connection. I can't tell you how heartbreaking it is to realize the food you are feeding likely caused your dog an early death. So, am I passionate about this topic. You bet I am. How could I not be? In trying to feed my dogs the 'best' I likely put them all at risk of early heart disease. I immediately changed my dogs to Pro Plan, which we had fed off and on over the years but I was always looking for a 'better' food despite the fact that our dogs really did amazing on Pro Plan. However, the 'poor reviews and low star ratings' swooshed in my head making me think I needed to find a better food. Now I know, Pro Plan is the better food. It is researched, has feeding trials and can be trusted. Our oldest Havanese had sensitive skin so was solely on the Pro Plan Salmon Sensitive Skin for 16 long, healthy years. If nothing else, experience should tell me Pro Plan is good for my dogs. I deeply regret having fed my dogs BEG diets of Fromm and TOTW. Never again. If the company can't invest in the research, I can't risk my dogs health. Only the best for my dogs, thus, only brands who have invested in making a dog food that is proven to be healthy and well balanced. I think I should be on the payroll at Pro Plan. :) Our sweet Sammi, bred by us, owned and loved by our dear friends, was sadly the reason we discovered the problem with Nutritional DCM. It is her picture associated with this food blog. We will never know if different food could have extended her life by many years. What we do know is that DCM is not a genetic disease in Havanese. We also know Sammi was fed the exact diets that dogs are dying from with DCM. We do know that all of her testing was completely normal other than an enlarged heart which lead to heart failure. Sammi was the picture of perfect health until the day she collapsed. She had absolutely no symptoms until it was too late. Her mom lived to nearly 16.5 on Pro Plan Sensitive, sweet Sammi died of DCM at the young age of 10.5 eating 5 star premium 'BEG' foods. I cannot express just how devastating this nutritionally induced disease truly is. I refuse to take a chance on any of my dogs. I will only feed my dogs food which has been researched and proven to be complete and balanced nutrition. Period. Why on earth would I risk another precious life on untested dog food? Our dog food recommendations:

Pro Plan Chicken and Rice Shredded Blend Adult This is what all our dogs and puppies are eating. Don't be fooled by the name 'adult' because if you check the back of the bag you will see that it is tested and approved for 'all life stages'. Simply put, it's marketed towards adults, but, it is good for adults, puppies and breeding dogs. All our dogs do excellent on this food and they love the tasty little bits. Pro Plan Focus Lamb and Rice small bites all life stages Our dogs have done very well on this variety, we have changed back and forth from the different flavors/varieties without any intestinal issues and our dogs do very well on all of them. Pro Plan Sport 27/17 Turkey and Barley all life stages (this is also small bites) This is what our dogs and puppies are currently eating. Excellent dog food without corn, wheat or soy. We have fed our dogs this for years on and off with excellent results. The only reason we kept changing is because I was buying into peer pressure to feed a 'quality' food. I assure you, this IS a quality food and our dogs have excellent health and coats when eating it. Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin and Stomach adult or small breed (this is not approved for pregnant females) - excellent for any dog, but especially for those with skin or stomach sensitivities. Also great for a family wanting a dog food without corn, wheat or soy. Our Molly was on this food for 16 long, healthy years due to having sensitive skin. I should have known it was a great food and kept all my dogs on it! This is an excellent food for any dogs experiencing any skin issues. Pro Plan Sport 26/16 Chicken and Rice all life stages - larger bites but the dogs don't seem to have a problem eating it as it crumbles pretty easy when they bite it. The dogs have done very well on the chicken.

Purina One Puppy - a great choice for families with gluten intolerance as this is a gluten free puppy food.

Purina One Lamb and Rice Adult or Purina One Sensitive Adult - these are both good choices for adult dogs and in a better price point than Pro Plan but still have all the research behind them.

Do Your Own Research If this conversation has sparked your interest, I have included below many links for your reading pleasure to help you make your own educated, scientifically based decision. I wish you and your sweet pup the very best. Nutritional DCM website - hosted by veterinarians, a work in progress answering questions and providing the most recent research. Also gives a link to the Facebook group regarding nutritional DCM. Veterinarian Kim Skibble - facebook commentary on dog food and DCM. Deciphering Fact from Fiction by Lisa Freemann, DVM, PhD, DACVN A Key Genetic Innovation in Dogs: Diet by Carol Beauchat, PhD Why you shouldn't judge a pet food by it's ingredients by Tufts clinical nutrition team Dogs fed some popular diets may be at risk of heart disease by UC Davis It's not just grain free by Dr. Lisa Freemann at Tufts University A broken heart: Risk of heart disease in boutique or grain free diets and exotic ingredients by Dr Lisa Freemann at Tufts University Don't be bothered by by-producuts. Tufts university FDA questions and answers about nutritional DCM UC Davis investigates link between nutrition and deadly heart disease What you need to know about Grain Free Dog Food and Heart Disease - Animal Emergency and Referral Center Special Topic: Association between pulse ingredients and canine dilated cardiomyopathy - Journal of Animal Science "Animals, including dogs, have no minimum or maximum requirements for ingredients. Ingredients serve as the vehicle to providing nutrients to animals. As such, animals have nutrient requirements, not ingredient requirements. In diets that have nutrient deficits, imbalances, or exceed maximums, the final nutrient composition of the diet, not the ingredients, should be critiqued. In addition, animal nutritionists should consider that the nutrient concentration of ingredients can vary, nutrient availability is not 100 %, and diets formulated to marginally meet requirements could actually be deficient. Overall, it is the responsibility of nutritionists to use different ingredients to formulate diets that can be produced and safely meet the nutritional needs of animals." "Ingredients do not represent the nutritional composition of the diet, and therefore, nutrient deficiencies should not be attributed to individual ingredients... It is the responsibility of animal nutritionists to formulate balanced diets for dogs, and other animals, by looking beyond the goal of meeting AAFCO recommendations or satisfying unsubstantiated market trends." "However, the FDA statement may harm consideration of protein alternatives, such as pulses, as quality ingredients in pet foods and undermine attempts to diversify ingredients used across the food chain as the global population continues to grow. Ingredients do not represent the nutritional composition of the diet, and therefore, nutrient deficiencies should not be attributed to individual ingredients." June 2019 FDA update This update provides names of the dog foods which are most commonly associated with nDCM. Also, you must consider, the portion of the dog population which eat these foods. Foods like Pro Plan and Royal Canin are fed to literally millions of dogs and no dogs have been reported as having nDCM eating this food. Small boutique companies clearly have a much smaller market share but have a large number of dogs who have already been verified as having nDCM. Sadly, there are many, many more unreported dogs who likely also have nDCM and simply have not been reported to the FDA. Also consider that many people use words such as CHF (congestive heart failure) and enlarged heart to describe why their dog is either very ill or died of heart disease. DCM is difficult to understand and often these more common words are used to describe the problem. Also, despite all the press, many people and even vets still are not aware of the issue. Based on the newest FDA provided information, I remain strongly convinced that feeding a food which was developed by a Veterinary Nutritionist team and has passed feeding trials to assure proper digestion, absorption and guaranteed complete and balanced nutrition. No feeding trials, no food for my dog. Our dogs are continuing to thrive on Pro Plan and have enjoyed some of the different varieties.