Recent FDA’s Statement Regarding Grain Free Dog Food
Roscoe Village Animal Hospital doctors are well aware of the recent media release of the FDA investigation of a possible connection of grain free dog foods causing Dilated Cardiomyopathy or DCM in dogs. Here are some key facts that you should know about this statement.
- There are a total of 515 “atypical dog” breeds that have been reported in the United States developing DCM while fed a grain free diet.
- This is a very low occurrence as there are 89.7 million dogs in US households.
- Many veterinarians are now recommending not feeding “boutique diets” and instead feeding diets such as Iam’s, Science Diet, and Purina or non “boutique diets”
- Approximately seventy percent (70%) of dogs will die of cancer in the United States yet the FDA has not made any type of statement or investigation regarding this very high cancer rate.
- Over the past 10 years, I have been doing a statistical research project in our practice recording what dog foods are fed with dogs developing malignant cancers.
- My research proves that dogs fed a diet containing organ meat such as liver, kidney or by-products are the dogs that develop malignancies such as lymphoma, spleen cancer, bone cancer, liver cancer as well as other malignancies.
- Because I am a proponent of feeding high quality diets, the amount of cancer has drastically decreased and I rarely see any patients with cancer.
- Because dogs are not dying of cancer, I am also seeing patients live into their late teens and early twenties something I never had seen in my early career.
What do I recommend?
My personal recommendation is to not change to a poor quality diet but rather continue to feed the food you are feeding. If you would like to be proactive while the investigation continues by the FDA, add taurine amino acid at a dose of ~ 500 mg per 40 pounds of your dogs body weight twice daily to your dogs diet. This is a very inexpensive supplement without side effects. You can purchase at a vitamin store or on Amazon.
There is currently a study being done at the University of California Davis Veterinary College measuring the taurine levels in your dog’s urine. This is a paid research product that Roscoe Village Animal Hospital will help with the submission of samples if you wish to have the test run. To participate in the study, a client questionnaire must be filled out along with photos of your dog’s current diet. There will be a nominal fee for shipping to the research lab. For more information, visit: https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/labs/trial-amino-acid
As more information is released, Roscoe Village Animal Hospital will continue to keep you updated.
The above statement reflects my personal opinion.
Scott M Rovner, DVM