FDA Reveals Dog Food Brands Possibly Linked to Canine Heart Disease

The Food and Drug Administration continues to investigate 16 brands of dog food that may be linked to canine heart disease.

Dogs that have eaten certain brands of pet food may be connected with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), resulting in congestive heart failure.

A statement was released on June 27 disclosing the brand names of dog food reported to the FDA. 

"We understand the concern that pet owners have about these reports: the illnesses can be severe, even fatal, and many cases report eating "grain-free" labeled pet food. The FDA is using a range of science-based investigative tools as it strives to learn more about this emergence of DCM and its potential link to certain diets or ingredients."

Dry dog food containing protein like chicken and lamb were among the highest reported of cases. Grain-free products ranked at the top of the list during testing along with brands containing peas and lentils.

The original investigation began in July 2018 when the FDA announced that breeds of dogs not genetically prone to the disease were affected by DCM.

Champion Petfoods owns Acana and Orijen brand dog food which made the list for most frequently reported DCM cases.
 
"While we and the industry work to learn more about DCM, you can trust that Champion foods (ACANA and ORIJEN) are safe for your pets," the dog food manufacturer wrote on its website. " We make all our foods ourselves, we don't use contract producers, so you can trust that ACANA and ORIJEN are made in strict accordance to our own recipes from high quality ingredients."

The FDA says it will continue investigating DCM and the potential causes and concerns. Pet owners are encouraged to talk to a veterinarian for dietary advice based on their pets specific needs.