While we typically focus on the more material aspects of home ownership here at hometechnics, we figured now would be a great time to cover a subject that 67% of Americans would find particularly useful – the health of our pets. Not only is pet ownership a way to increase your general happiness and quality of life, pets can make an otherwise somewhat stale home more vivacious and welcoming.
Particularly, we wanted to cover the rise of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs as a result of people switching to grain-free foods. The FDA has recently unearthed some troubling links between a rising trend in using pet food that has eliminated grain fillers and the deadly heart disease:
“Large- to giant-breed dogs and Cocker Spaniels appear to have a genetic risk of developing DCM, FDA information states. But agency officials issued an alert in July 2018 after receiving reports of DCM in breeds that don’t typically have the disease, such as Shetland Sheepdogs, Boston Terriers, and French Bulldogs.
Dr. Lee Anne Palmer, who leads the Adverse Event Review Team in the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine Division of Veterinary Product Safety, said during the presentation at AVMA Convention 2019 in Washington, D.C., that 93% of the dog foods identified in DCM reports listed peas, lentils, or both among the first 10 ingredients on labels, and about 91% were grain free.
Agency data published in June indicate at least 16 brands had 10 or more DCM reports connected with their products. Dr. Jennifer Jones, a veterinary medical officer in the FDA CVM Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network program, said during the lecture that the FDA analyzed dog foods from homes and stores and conducted comprehensive nutritional screenings, including analyses of free and total amino acids.
“The bottom line was all except for two products came back normal,” Dr. Jones said.”
With pet ownership comes a long term commitment to keeping your pets happy and healthy, and making sure that their hearts are functioning properly is a top priority. Heart murmurs and cardiovascular diseases such as DCM are relatively uncommon, but it pays to be up to date on the news coming out about what diets may cause heart problems, make sure that they get plenty of exercise, and, of course, make regular visits to a good veterinarian.
It can be difficult to find a good vet, as many are constantly busy or are very unhygienic, so doing the research to find the right veterinarian can make a big difference in your pet’s health. For this reason, we’re spotlighting a company in the southern California area so that our readers don’t have to go far to find a quality office.
Carley Saelinger, or CardiacVet, is one of southern California’s premier cardiac veterinarians, specializing in making sure your pet’s heart and cardiovascular system is running and pumping as it should. If you notice that your pet is acting sluggish, presenting some symptoms of unusual fatigue or coughing, she’s the veterinarian you want to see.
If your pet is acting oddly and presenting symptoms of DCM or any other cardiovascular disease and you want to get them checked out by a true professional, give her office a call:
Cardiac Vet
(323) 393-0616
MARINA DEL REY, CA 90292
