FDA Investigates Possible Link Between Some Dog Foods And Heart Diseases In Pups

Pup Moms and Dads in America were extremely concerned when some dog food brands were found to be linked to heart disease.

This is why the Food and Drug Administration has launched an investigation into the possibility of increased heart disease risk among pups from brands such as Rachel Ray Nutrish, Blue Buffalo, and Merrick.

To perform this investigation, over 500 heart disease cases in pups were compiled and looked into. The FDA worked on finding out which food brands were most commonly linked to the condition, especially to dilated cardiomyopathy, which leads to weakened heart muscles. As of now, the organization has stated that it has not yet drawn conclusions regarding specific diets and heart trouble risk.

However, the FDA has noted that 90% of the meals described in the reports were said to be free of grain, and yet still 93% contained lentils or peas in some way, with a much smaller amount of potatoes within them. But among all those reports, protein sources were not noted to be a large factor in heart disease risk.

So, which brands were linked to the highest number of dilated cardiomyopathy cases? Taste of the Wild, Acana, and Zignature, which each boasted a whopping 50 reports within four months between January and April in 2014. 16 other food brands had more than 10 reports following that.

A wide majority of these foods were dry foods, though other types were also present. For now, the FDA is working on solidifying their research in order to avoid issues with correlation as opposed to causation. Keep an eye out for their further findings to better protect your pups!

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