The FDA Cardiomyopathy Investigation: Keeping Your Pets Healthy
Question: How Worried Should You Be?
Answer: Relax. But be informed.
At Spot, we want you to have the most trustworthy information. As pet parents ourselves, we’ve felt the concern and confusions over the FDA’s investigation. It’s far too early for definite answers, which only increases the overall worry level.
We sat down with a leading scientist to ask the questions we know you have. And we got reassuring answers.
First: The background
It’s caused everything from mild concern to near hysteria among pet parents and professionals. The issue pops up in social media feeds with terrifying warnings, sometimes convincing people the healthy dog food they’ve carefully selected might actually kill their beloved dog.
It’s the perfect recipe for panic and misinformation: nobody has definitive answers and everyone is concerned about their dogs’ health.
The FDA announced in July 2018 that it was launching an investigation into possible cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs who eat certain diets. Veterinarians reported a possible increase in the numbers of cases they were seeing, and some of them in breeds not previously known to be susceptible to the condition. These dogs had widely varied lifestyles and diets, but seemed to have a few dietary factors in common. The diets in question are mostly grain-free with high concentrations of legumes or pulses like lentils or peas.
From the FDA website: the dog foods most commonly fed to dogs with reported cases of cardiomyopathy.
The investigation is about 1 1/2 years old and the FDA gives no prediction of how long it will last.
While they await answers, dog guardians — many of whom chose the grain-free and specialty diets to accommodate a dog’s allergies or other medical needs — are left to wonder if their dog’s food is safe.
We Went to an Expert
Dr. Jennifer Adolphe agreed to sit down with us while she was in Portland to speak at a national conference. She’s an academic and industry leader, having devoted her career to researching both human and companion animal nutrition.
Dr. Adolphe holds a PhD in companion animal nutrition and is the nutrition manager at Petcurean Pet Foods Ltd. As the recipient of more than 20 industry awards and scholarships, with numerous peer-reviewed publications, she is closely following the FDA investigation and its possible implications for pet health.
Dr. Jennifer Adolphe
First: Don’t Blame the Bean
The FDA investigation is focusing on dog food formulas that have a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legumes (collectively known as pulses), and/or sweet potatoes and other potatoes in various forms (whole, flour, protein, etc.) as main ingredients (listed within the first 10 ingredients in the ingredient list, before vitamins and minerals).
While the concern is understandable, Dr. Adolphe cautions against turning our backs on these sources of nutrients, especially given our current lack of definite answers from the investigation. “Pulses, such as peas and lentils and chickpeas, etc., are terrific ingredients. They’re nutrient rich, they’re a source of plant-based protein, they’re fiber rich, they’re a sustainable ingredient, they’re grown locally. There’s so much good about them. As a nutritionist, I’d hate to see them not be an option.”
The FDA weighs in as well, noting, “To put this issue into proper context, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that there are 77 million pet dogs in the United States. As of April 30, 2019, the FDA has received reports about 560 dogs diagnosed with DCM suspected to be linked to diet. Tens of millions of dogs have been eating dog food without developing DCM.”
Second: Don’t Hurry to Change Foods
It’s easy to overemphasize the impact of an investigation. As Dr. Adolphe explains, an investigation simply means the FDA is gathering more information. “These kinds of observations are really good at hypothesis generation and driving research into an area that maybe needs some more attention, but it’s not a cause and effect situation. Unfortunately, with the mass media and social media, with so much information available to everybody, these things get blown very large and it creates a lot of panic and worry.”
The investigation may continue for quite some time, and even then may only produce recommendations for further studies, new hypotheses to test, or new areas to explore.
Given that, Dr. Adolphe doesn’t recommend that we switch foods, even if we’re feeding one of the foods listed on the FDA’s list of foods that possibly have some connection to the disease.
A report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association did go so far as to say there’s an “apparent” link between the named diets and dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, but “a cause-and-effect relationship has not been proven, and other factors may be equally or more important.”
“Even in the FDA report itself they’re not recommending that people change diets,” Dr. Adolphe adds. “They’re not saying that grain-free diets are causing this situation, but just that they’re looking into the situation and doing some work and letting people know what they’re doing. As a public health agency they need to be transparent in what they’re doing.”
Meanwhile, in her home and in her company’s food lines, Dr. Adolphe will stick with the foods and ingredients that work best for each dog’s needs. “Absolutely, if we knew a certain ingredient or a certain nutrient was causing a health problem, absolutely it would be removed right away,” she says.
What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
It’s a disease that causes enlargement of the heart. While the true cause isn’t known, it’s believed to have a genetic component, because it’s most commonly seen in giant and large breeds such as Great Danes, Boxers, Newfoundlands, Irish Wolfhounds, Saint Bernards and Doberman Pinschers. It is less common in small and medium breed dogs, except American and English Cocker Spaniels.
“Any time an animal is sick, nobody wants that situation. It’s terrible for that animal and that family, but the wide-blown panic is...we just don’t have enough information at this time.”
Signs of Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs:
They may vary by dog, age, and breed. But seek veterinary care if your dog has any of these symptoms, which may signal DCM or a number of other possible conditions.
Loss of appetite
Pale gums
Coughing
Periods of weakness
Fainting
What’s a Dog-Lover to Do?
Feed the food that works best for your dog. You’ve likely chosen the formula to accommodate allergies, age, calorie needs, or other characteristics of your dog. And if it’s working well and your dog is healthy, carry on.
Where to get information:
The FDA website offers and Q & A section with straightforward advice, including the agency’s statement that it is not advising dietary changes based solely on the information available now.