FDA Investigating Potential Connection Between Diet and Cases of Canine Heart Disease

[M.F.]

FDA Investigating Potential Connection Between Diet and Cases of Canine Heart Disease

 

[Jacqui-S]

Hmm....interesting.
In a nutshell, Grain-Free foods MIGHT be related to certain types of heart disease in dogs (and cats)
I guess it's early days. I did see there was a large FB group - Taurine Deficient Cardiomyopathy.

Worth also reading This Article Here.
It suggests if you are worried, not to change your food necessarily, but feed a taurine rich food source e.g. tin of sardines, once a week.

 

[SteffiS]

@Jacqui-S is giving a salmon oil supplement helpful with this?

 

[Jacqui-S]

Not 100% sure @SteffiS
Meat, oily fish and dairy, eggs too.
You would think salmon oil. I will google some more tomorrow but laptop about to die and in bed with no cable......

 

[SteffiS]

Ok thanks

 

[M.F.]

I think “grain-free” is a red herring. I think the issue is that taurine is not in processed dog food in sufficient quantities for various reasons: using veg and veg protein instead of animal protein. Apparently heat also destroys taurine I read somewhere (not 100% sure on this cos I’m wondering how taurine supplements are made?).

I understand all muscle meat contains taurine, the heart muscle contains a lot. If you feed a raw meat diet, your dog is getting sufficient quantities.

The article highlights for me the issues with highly processed dog food.

 

[Natalie]

It's taurine that is added to all cat food, isn't it, as cats don't produce it naturally unlike other mammals, and the reason why cats shouldn't be fed dog food but dogs are ok to eat cat food (not saying that they should, thouh I think Monty gets through a pouch of Felix every day)

 

[Jacqui-S]

If you feed a raw meat diet, your dog is getting sufficient quantities.

That's what I understand.

It's taurine that is added to all cat food

I definitely saw lots of references to Taurine content of cat food.
And Red Bull and other energy drinks.

 

[Jacqui-S]

@Jacqui-S is giving a salmon oil supplement helpful with this?

I don't think it does, Stephanie, but you feed raw meat and eggs and so I think that covers the taurine.

Remember there isn't any proof here.
I still maintain that in humans as well as with animals, if diet is varied and not restricted, then we should cover all the nutrients we need - generally speaking. This would support home cooked and raw diets rather than kibble though, wouldn't it? Hmmm.

 

[SteffiS]

I don't think it does, Stephanie, but you feed raw meat and eggs and so I think that covers the taurine.

Yes, Ripple has one meal a day of raw and one of (grain free) kibble, so this seems ok from what I read. I started giving him salmon oil supplement to help with his patch of skin that he kept licking, and wondered whether this also gave a taurine benefit the same as tinned fish. I wonder why not?

 

[Ashley]

I found some articles about this by the company of our food, and it seems to relate to taurine and quinn’s grain free food contains taurine in the ingredient list. I try to read up on things, but there is so much out there that it’s hard to know fact from fear mongering. I agree that a varied diet for dogs (and humans!) is all we can do. It’s making me think about how long to stay one one food though, another confusing topic on the internet!