Do grain-free diets cause heart problems in dogs?
Dr. Mark Harmon, one of our board-certified cardiologists, recently sat down with Dr. Melinda Lopez of Twin Trees Vet to talk about grain-free dog food and heart disease.
“Diets containing peas, lentils, chickpeas, and dried beans have been associated with a type of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. The presence or absence of grains in the diets does not dictate whether these are safe diets. Although the FDA has stopped collecting data on these cases, the issue is still occurring and is still being seen frequently in our pets in B.C.” – Dr. Mark Harmon
If your pet has been fed a diet with these ingredients and there is any indication of heart disease (even a very soft murmur, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, cardiac arrhythmia, etc.) it very is important to have the heart evaluated. The damage can be reversed in the earlier stages, but in the later stages it is devastating. (Summary courtesy of Dr.Lopez)
See the full interview on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehTX1dw9NpQ
Find out more about our cardiology specialty services.
