Risks of Grain-Free Diets
Going into the pet stores and trying to pick a food to feed your beloved pet can be a daunting task. There is so much information out there on what to and what not to feed your pet. Around 70% of canine diets on the shelves at pet/grocery stores are now grain free. Contrary to popular belief, grain free and boutique diets are not the best diets to feed our pets.
In recent years there have been more and more cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. DCM is a serious disease that affects the heart muscle causing enlargement of the heart and weakening of the heart muscle. This disease can result in cardiac arrhythmias, congestive heart failure and sudden death. Due to the increase instance of this disease research is ongoing to try and figure out what is causing this spike in disease. It has been determined that the increased cases of this dilated cardiomyopathy in our dogs is associated with feeding grain free and boutique diets.