Thank you, Nadine H, Heidi L, and Crazy4cats! I just spoke to a vet nutritionist who is the daughter of a friend of mine. She said stuff we already know about this issue, including that the FDA as a body really knows nothing about dog food and its ingredients. They are concerned primarily with making sure that what the manufacturer says is in the food is actually in the food, so vets and nutritionists are not really concerned about this admonition from the FDA. However, she added that if AAFCO had made the same possible connection conclusion, “the veterinary world would be on high alert.” In addition, she said that all the dogs affected with DCM that brought about this announcement from the FDA are from the same state, so it is thought that perhaps there was something amiss within that state’s supply. She recommended that I continue to feed my dog Zssentials, at least until more definitive conclusions could be made. She said it might make me feel better if I were to ask my vet for a taurine test, but she said most dogs are “OK” with taurine, and few companies add taurine to the dog food because most dogs don’t need it. It is deficient in cats much more frequently. I shall look into Nature’s Logic. A local pet store gives samples of all the dog food they carry, so I can try it and see if my dog, Mr. Persnickety himself, will even eat Nature’s Miracle. As crazy4cats suggested, it is difficult to make a change when we finally have found a food he will eat, not throw up, AND make his poop textbook perfect.😏
