Fad-Doggie-Dieters beware! A study that was recently published out of University of California, Davis found a strong link between a canine heart disease, taurine-deficient dilated cardiomyopathy, and their diets. The condition can be caused due to nutritional deficiencies in popular grain-free, legume-rich dog diets.
Taurine deficiency is known to lead to dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. The study was conducted on a total of 76 golden retrievers with different diets. It concludes that certain diets and their characteristics are associated with the development of taurine deficiency but most cases are likely multi-factorial including a combination of dietary, metabolic, and genetic factors.
Remember, it is always important to feed your doggo a truly balanced diet. Not just what's popular or trending at the time!
What You Can Do:
Get informed! Make sure that you are supplying all of the nutrients that your dog needs. Dogs require a wide range of nutrients in different quantities over the course of their lives. The nutritional needs of a puppy are different from an adult dog. If you are unsure about the differences in nutritional requirements between puppies and adults, click here for the Merck Veterinary Manual. It lists nutrients for dogs with the recommended amount by weight and age:
Pro Tip:
Check out our Dasher Delivery Store! We aim to offer our clients a variety of healthy pet food options, delivered right to your doorstep. And we're still expanding! Check back regularly to see what will pop up in our store next!
-The Dog Walker Blog
Link to source article: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0209112#references
Merck Veterinary Manual: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-small-animals/nutritional-requirements-and-related-diseases-of-small-animals
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