[crazy4cats]

Hey, I’m right there with you. I think the ingredients look good as well. But, I’ve come to realize that I am not a good judge of an ingredient panel. I am now leaving it to the experts. Which, in my opinion are companies that meet the WSAVA guidelines. And, unfortunately, Fromm does not.
I’m really glad you’re not feeding Zignature anymore though!

[crazy4cats]

Yet, you participate on this site? Lol! Talk about misinformation!

I believe sites like this are one of the reasons we got into this situation to begin with. High ratings for boutique foods with ingredients that are appealing to humans. Foods that have not been tested and have no veterinarian nutritionists on staff are starting to show very ill effects in our dogs.

Yes, this is an opinion!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Lisa A-
I belong to that FB group. As a matter of fact, that is where I got this article from! There are so many members on it now that, sometimes it’s hard to pull out the facts.

Good luck with your pup! I hope you get the peace of mind you are looking for.

[crazy4cats]

You’re welcome. I also originally switched to Fromm, but now have made the switch to Purina ProPlan. I have recently learned that Fromm does not meet WSAVA guidelines and falls more under the Boutique category. Having large golden retriever/lab mix dogs, I am not taking any chances at all. Their breed seems to be more at risk.

The brands that I know of that meet the guidelines are: Royal Canin, Purina, Hills, and Eukanuba. Also, have learned that you absolutely cannot judge a food by its ingredient label.

[crazy4cats]

Here is an update from Lisa Freeman who is considered to be the ultimate authority on nutritional aspects of cardiac disease in dogs. She is a board certified Veterinary Nutritionist that largely focuses on heart disease. I find this to be very interesting. Seems they are finding the latest rise in DCM in dogs and cats is not only related to taurine deficiency. Check it out!

It’s Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy

[crazy4cats]

Thanks, Joanne, interesting stuff. It basically confirms a lot of the other stuff I’ve read. I do try to keep an eye on the amount of fat and calories in the kibble I feed both my dogs and cats. My dogs are neutered male labs that tend to get chubby and my cats are indoor only.

I’ve never really thought that grain free food could be better, but did rotate it along with grain in food to my dogs anyway. NO MORE!!!

[crazy4cats]

Good luck, Lisa. I switched to Purina ProPlan large breed weight management and my dogs are doing just fine.

I noticed the salmon recipe is quite a bit higher in calories than my dogs are used to. I’m not sure how it compares to what you’ve been feeding though. You may have to feed a little less.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Lisa A-
I’m glad your vet notified you about diet related DCM. There is a FB group dedicated to this issue called Taurine-Deficient cardiomyopathy. The cardiologist that is leading one of the research groups from UCDavis belongs and pops in every now and then to give advice. There is also a team of mostly knowledgable admins that run the site. Check it out!

Many of the members whose dogs cannot tolerate chicken have transitioned their dogs off of suspect diets to the Purina ProPlan Sensitive Stomach Salmon recipe.

As I think Susan mentioned, Acana and Zignature have been mentioned quite often when people have reported their dogs either have either low taurine or actual DCM. Remember, it’s tough to rate an ingredient label. So, I have officially given it up and leave it to the experts to know which ingredients work well together to deliver an appropriate nutrient package to my dogs. Surprisingly, a number of raw and homemade fed dogs are also turning up taurine deficient.

At this point in time, I’d stay totally away from the suspect ingredients (legumes and potatoes) and stick with a brand that has been around for a while that has proven to be safe. I switched to Purina and will stick with either them or Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Hill’s or Iams. They all have veterinary nutritionists on staff, do research, feeding trials and own their own facilities.

Btw, I think the ingredients of Natural Balance look fine. It doesn’t contain any of the suspect ones. It contains some of the building blocks for dogs to synthesize their own taurine. I’m not sure about that brand though but if your vet is good with it, give it a go! Or, try out the PPP salmon formula. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Katie R-
I am going to venture to guess that Pitlove was not referring to any Rx grain free kibble. I don’t know her, but have been seeing her posts for the last few years. She is a vet tech and supports Rx diets when needed. I’m sorry if you were offended. I am confident that she did not mean to.
On the taurine-deficient DCM FB site, this question has come up several times. The Admins in the group state that grain free Rx diets are safe. They are very well researched and tested. The dogs are in the care of a veterinarian and there is no concern with them causing DCM. I believe there are a couple on the taurine data chart.

There is so much information on that page. Unfortunately, it’s getting tougher to wade through all the posts because there are over 9,000 members now! The admins are in touch with Joshua Stern from UC Davis, who is also in touch with the FDA regarding this research. Today there was a post about a 3 year old German Short Haired Pointer that was just diagnosed with severe DCM who had been eating Acana Lamb. He lives in Canada. I hope it can be reversed with a different diet. So sad.

They have already proved that many cases are food related as the DCM can be reversed when fed a new diet. They just don’t know what it is about the food that is causing it yet. Fingers crossed it will be figured out soon!

[crazy4cats]

Actually many grains contain the amino acids necessary for dogs to synthesize their own taurine. There are a surprising number of raw fed dogs showing up as taurine deficient in the ongoing study. (Both the official and the unofficial FB)

Carbs are a great source of energy for dogs.

[crazy4cats]

Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to the links. I enjoyed listening to the podcast. She was discussing some of her experiences with patients and her theories about the issue. Ive read a lot about it. It was nice to hear a discussion.

It’s true, not all dogs are reacting the same. Some are metabolizing the food better than others. But it is not known why yet. It does appear that goldens are more sensitive than other breeds. But it has been established it is not genetic with them. And, other breeds have indeed been affected as well.

I have not had my dogs’ taurine levels checked as I switched foods before I knew about testing. It is recommended to be on the same food for three months before you test. I will be having echoes done in a couple of weeks at a nearby dog show that is having a clinic offering them at a reduced rate.

My dogs are a lab/golden mix and I’ve been rotating grain free along with grain friendly for about 4 or 5 years. Their stools seemed better on gf. Most likely due to being higher in fiber. But, no more gf for us! Not worth the risk. I’d rather have loose stools than broken hearts. Some of the heart breaking stores on the FB page, the owners say that their dogs showed no symptoms before their hearts were too damaged to repair.

I think it’s sad people think it’s a conspiracy. I don’t know how anyone could get so many different organizations on board with the “lie”. I hope someone finds this info helpful. 🐶

[crazy4cats]

Hi Christie B-
How about Purina ProPlan salmon sensitive stomach? Many people on the FB page I’m following regarding DCM who have dogs with chicken allergies and are switching off of grain free foods are feeding it with good results.

[crazy4cats]

Bumping up my post!

[crazy4cats]

Hee Hee! I’m such a terrifying fear monger!!!!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi David A-
I am probably one of the posters that HC is referring to and I’m not afraid to admit it! Here is a link that I think will be helpful to you:
http://taurinedcm.org/taurine-dcm-faq/?fbclid=IwAR0_Dg1_8xYsghSeOXLYeDgIN_YMU_0w8eAHxQXUs4JSTlQ7f4rDdvnd1ck
I believe it is something to take seriously at least until they find out what the actual issue is. I’d certainly rather be safe than sorry. You could always switch back later if whatever your feeding is found out to be safe.

I have been feeding mostly grain free for the last four years and have now switched to Purina Pro Plan. My dogs are doing great. I have joined the taurine-deficient DCM FB group and there are some very informative vets, including one of the cardiologists from UCDavis that is performing the investigation, moderating the group. However, there are over 9,000 members in the group now and the site is getting more messy. But, there is a files section with some good info and a taurine data table where people are volunteering the results of their dogs taurine and echo cardiogram results. If I remember correctly, Honest Kitchen is not one that is doing very well on the table. I personally wouldn’t feed it. There is a very informative poster on this site who has debated that THK does not provide complete and balanced diets.

If you want to feed a balanced homemade diet, check out http://www.balanceit.com.

I have learned a lot in the last couple of months about dog nutrition. It is much more complicated than I realized. Ingredients that look good to humans are not necessarily good for dogs. You can’t look at the ingredients separately. They all need to work together for a complete nutrient package for your dog. DCM is labeled the silent killer. There usually are not any symptoms until it’s too late to be reversed.

I was never one to feed any of the “Big Three or Four” brands, but now will not feed anything but. They all employ veterinarian nutritionists with Phd’s, do research, feeding trials and own their own manufacturing factories.

I hope this helps and I wish you well!

(Please check out the link!)

Edit: I just realized all the documents form the FB page are on this link as well! Good luck!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by crazy4cats.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia A-

Maybe this link will help answer some of your questions:

http://taurinedcm.org/taurine-dcm-faq/?fbclid=IwAR0_Dg1_8xYsghSeOXLYeDgIN_YMU_0w8eAHxQXUs4JSTlQ7f4rDdvnd1ck

BTW, brown rice and corn gluten are excellent precursors for taurine. They contain the amino acids necessary for dogs bodies to synthesize taurine on their own. I guess formulating a balanced pet food is rocket science after all. I’ve learned so much in the last few months since this warning came out. I hope others are open to it as well.

Also, I think it would be great if some of the smaller companies would conduct research themselves or donate to universities for research as well. Most of them don’t pay for full time veterinarian nutritionists either. Many people think that the big companies are greedy. But, some of the smaller companies are charging just as much more for their foods and are not donating any or employing experts!

Hope this helps!

[crazy4cats]

It is not known what is causing the increase in diet related DCM yet, but yes, peas is one of the suspected ingredients along with other factors under consideration. Again, Purina does not have any DCM cases so far and Champion has several.

It’s best to listen to your Vet!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cathy-
I do not have dogs with this issue, but I did have a cat that had a urinary blockage a few years back. They were Struvite crystals though. They are much more common than silica. Scary stuff. You definitely want to stop them from forming. As far as ratings go on this site, I wouldn’t worry about them. It’s tough to rate food by the ingredient label, especially for a dog with a medical condition.
Listen to your vet! ProPlan is a great food. Purina is a large company that has been around for a long time. They do a lot of ongoing research, they employ full time board certified veterinary nutritionists, and they own their own manufacturing plant.

I have been following the “DCM thing”. So far, there have been no dogs diagnosed with it that have been fed Purina PP. Their food contains all the amino acids that enable dogs to synthesize their own taurine in addition to the taurine that is in the food. There are also no known ingredients that will block it from being absorbed. I recently switched back to Purina and my dogs are doing great. We all need to listen to our vets more. They know more about nutrition than we give them credit for. Good luck to you.

[crazy4cats]

You can’t tell how much of what is in the food by the ingredient label. Manufacturers are allowed to weigh ingredients at different stages of processing making it impossible to tell. They know that consumers are now checking out ingredient labels and know exactly what we want to see and can manipulate them to our liking.

Many of the dogs that have been recently diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy coincidentally have been eating Acana. Cardiologists are researching right now if there is a connection. I’d steer clear.

[crazy4cats]

Yep! Scary, scary stuff. Looks like 9 cases of DCM from a very small sampling of Zignature’s taurine and echo results. Not good. Would not touch any of theirs or Champions’ formulas. That google sheet isn’t supposed to be reproduced. We need to get people to check out the FB group to see it and get the correct information along with it.

People- Buy food that is manufactured by companies with full time board certified veterinary nutritionists on staff, that do research and feeding trials! Companies are using new untested ingredients in our dogs’ food that look good to human eyes, but are not good for dogs’ hearts!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by crazy4cats.

[crazy4cats]

The FDA cannot recommend a diet switch at this time for a couple of reasons: 1.) They have not examined or know your dog. 2.) Also, there has not been a specific causation yet only a very strong correlation. They are not sure yet if it is due to ingredient interactions or some sort of contamination in the ingredients.

It is too bad the word seems to be getting out slowly. This new grain free fad is sacrificing nutritional value for better “looking” ingredients. Many of us are falling for it, including myself. I’m sticking to the bigger established companies that do research and feeding trials from now on. I do not want my dogs in a sense to be the ones doing the feeding trials.

Here is a current interview with Dr. Martine Hartogensis, the Deputy Director at the US Food & Drug Associations Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Surveillance & Compliance. She says there have now been about 200 dogs diagnosed with DCM do to the food they are eating. I can imagine there will only be more as the word gets out.

FDA on Grain Free Diet Alert

I’m certainly not taking the risk. If they find in the end there is no causation after all, there is no harm done. Just a diet switch. But, if they turn out to be right, your dog could have a “broken” heart.

If concerned about transitioning to a new food, a very helpful vet has recommended feeding a prescription diet to aid in the transition to a new diet. The type of fiber between a food with legumes and potatoes is different than one without and sometimes can be rough. Hope this is helpful!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Atlas-
In my opinion, your instincts are correct. You should be avoiding legumes and potatoes at least until the research is over. Here is the FDA’s second bulletin:
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm616279.htm

The link that Susan provided is not by a veterinarian nutritionist and is also the founder of a bogus $300 allergy test. I wouldn’t pay attention to it.

Join the Taurine-Deficient Cardiomyopathy FB group for more information. It is supported by 4 or 5 vets, including Joshua Stern. He is the UCDavis cardiologist who is leading the investigation.

They are recommending to feed food from a large company who employs full time veterinary nutritionists, who regularly tests their food, does research and feeding trials. Some of the companies that fit most of the criteria that Ive found so far are: Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Iams, Purina, Hills, Annamaet, and Farmina.

I have switched my dogs to Purina Pro Plan. Their stools were soft at first, but are getting better and better. I’d rather have soft stools than an enlarged heart. However, my dogs are Golden and Lab mix, two breeds that seem to be more affected by this issue. But, other breeds are starting to show up too.

There are supplements that you can buy that may help with the anal gland issue. They usually contain probiotics and fiber. You may want to talk to your vet about using one until your dog’s system gets used to the different type of fiber in food with grain. We use Forti Flora probiotic. It is awesome! Hope this helps. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Lyndsey D-
This food is loaded with suspect ingredients that the FDA and several cardiologist teams are investigating as causing Dilated Cardiomyopathy in dogs. I wouldn’t feed it at least until the investigation is over and the cause increased amounts of DCM lately is figured out.

https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm616279.htm

Good luck to you!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia-
You are absolutely right! It’s impossible to tell how much of each ingredient is actually in the food by the ingredient label. In addition, you can’t tell the quality of the ingredients. You can’t tell which cut of the meat they used, or if they weighed it when it was wet or dry.

You need to go with a company you trust that uses solid ingredients, has safety procedures in place, does research, has a veterinary nutritionist on staff and tests their food!

Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

I only know of petdiets.com and balanceit.com that are supported by vets with PhDs in animal nutrition.

I have formulated a few recipes using balanceit’s program supplemented by their own supplement. The dogs love when I actually make them one!

[crazy4cats]

Here is an article found on the Taurine-Deficient Cardiomyopathy Face Book Page:

In addition to the below, corn gluten meal is an excellent precursor for taurine.

Debunking Myths around Corn Gluten Meal
Avi Deshmukh, DVM, MS, Ph.D.

Why add CGM in petfoods?

Most of the available CGM contains about 70% protein. It is an excellent source of
methionine & cysteine, which are beneficial while acidifying the urine to prevent
and/or manage urinary caliculi. Because of this, CGM is typically combined with
another animal or plant protein source.

Additionally, when compared to other proteins, CGM has a low level of ash (<
2.0%) and a full complement of vitamins and xanthophylls such as zeaxanthin and
lutein.1

Zeaxanthin and lutein are antioxidants and protect the vision.

Facts, myths and misconceptions about corn:

Misinformation about corn & CGM Facts about corn & CGM
(1) Corn is not digested by dogs and
cats
No mammal can digest the intact corn
kernel.
**However, when corn kernels are ground
and cooked, corn is >90% digestible.

(2) Corn & CGM are cheap ingredients
and added to cheapen the food
***High quality of corn and CGM are
expensive ingredients.

(3) Corn and CGM are fillers
The term “filler” means that it has no
nutritional or beneficial value to the pet.
***Both, corn and CGM, provide a number
of beneficial nutrients to improve the
animal health
(4) Corn & CGM cause allergies in
pets
***The incidence of “True food allergies”
is very low. In fact, animal proteins are
potentially more allergic than plant
proteins. Studies show an incidence rate
of 1.5% of adverse reactions to food
may be caused by corn or CGM.

(5) The cob is added along with corn
kernels
***Cob is never added in the pet foods.

From what I can tell, corn gluten meal is a much better addition to dog kibble than legumes and/or potatoes.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Joanne-
How long have you been feeding it? Sometimes you have to give them time to adjust. I’ve learned this the hard way. 😳

Also, I just took a look at the recipe you are feeding. It is extremely high in calories at 498. A lot of the foods I feed are around 350 to 400. Maybe the higher calories and fat are not agreeing with your dog.

Another thing I’ve learned lately is that lamb is not the most digestible protein for dogs. Vets mostly recommend it if the dog needs a novel protein due to allergies or IBD. Can your dog eat chicken, turkey or beef? I think Purina is a good brand. I’d either give it a little more time or switch to a different protein with a little less fat. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by crazy4cats.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, I do feel lucky. For the FDA to out out a warning, there must have been too many dogs with side effects. Our vet felt it was safe, but I did have some concerns. I’ll prob use the Seresto collar for the dogs next year too. At least you can take it off if there are side effects.

I hope your dog is ok.

[crazy4cats]

I gave my two dogs Bravecto for the first time this year. Luckily, no side effects for mine either. I’m trying the Seresto collar on my one cat that goes outside. So far no issues with him either. I hate the messy topical stuff. Thought I’d try something different this summer/fall.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Dennis!
Welcome to the forum. I have both cats and dogs too. I mostly feed kibble with canned or fresh to my crew.

[crazy4cats]

Congrats on the rescue of your pup. It sounds like a beautiful mix. And probably a handful! The best way to figure out an allergy is through an elimination diet with an Rx hypoallergenic food.

Just a word of warning, there has been a FDA warning on dog food that contain a significant amount of legumes and/or potatoes. There have been many cases of dogs eating these types of diets that have been diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyapathy due to low taurine. It is suspected that these ingredients may be blocking the absorption or inhibiting the synthesis of taurine.

There is a data table on a FB page that is gathering taurine test results. Acana and Zignature are both consistently showing very low results. I wouldn’t feed either! Kangaroo is very low in taurine. I’m glad it is not available.

[crazy4cats]

I do not see any mention of a fecal test. Has his poop been tested for parasites! Specifically Giardia? My dogs had that same issue when I got them. I kept changing foods thinking that was the problem. Turns out they had giardia which can cause intermittent loose stools and diarrhea.

It took several rounds of metronidazole and panacur c to get rid of it.

[crazy4cats]

Then go with your gut and find a different food. You’ll be mad at yourself if your dog has any joint issues. My dogs are 7 years old. I didn’t know about this issues when they were pups. Luckily, their joints are fine so far.

I’d stay away from grain free and buy a well known brand that has been fed successfully to a lot of large breed pups. Hope you find one you are more comfortable with.

[crazy4cats]

Have you seen these articles on the review side?,

/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

/calcium-content-analyzer/

[crazy4cats]

You’re talking about marshmallows, Anon. The poster asked about soft treats to use as pill pockets.

I’ve used banana for small pills with perhaps a dab of PB on it before. I can’t be trusted with a can of spray cheese! LOL! Yum! 🙂

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by crazy4cats.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by crazy4cats.

[crazy4cats]

Hi dendad-
This is a blow to most of us who have been feeding “fancy” grain free food. It is tough thinking that we are doing the best for our dogs and find out something like this!

You should really think about joining the Face Book Group Taurine-Deficiency Dilated Cardiomyopathy group. If you don’t have a FB account, you can set one up using your dog’s name or something besides your own name if you are concerned about privacy. It does not have to be a public account. The FB group is closed and private as well. It has a lot of information posted and vets actively participating. Including the cardiologist who is heading up the research.

Basically try to choose a brand that has been established for a long time and continues to do testing and research on their foods. They should also employ at least one veterinary nutritionist.

There was no mention of recommending the rotation of foods to be valuable by any of the vets or admins in the group. There are some people who like to do this and their dogs do well with it. If you are rotating between brands and foods that have suspect ingredients or are not truly complete and balanced, then there still could be issues.

Pick a food that does not have any legumes or potatoes in the first five ingredients is what either the FDA or UC Davis is recommending.

If you can’t stand the thought of feeding a food made by Mars, Purina or Hills, then Annamaet might be a good option for you. They’ve had good results on the data chart. Also, I see Farmina is doing well on the data table as well. But, I’m not sure they fulfill the other requirements suggested by the group. (I’m switching to Purina) Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Fair enough. I just want to make sure as many dog owners are aware as possible. Best of luck to you and your pup.

[crazy4cats]

Foods specifically with legumes and/or potatoes in the first five ingredients should be avoided according to Josh Stern, the cardiologist that is heading the research at UC Davis.

I guess there are a few grain foods that don’t fit this description. But, I can’t think there could be very many.

I switched to Purina Large Breed Weight Management after feeding grain free off and in for about five years. Hoping my boys have not suffered any damage!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Susan k-
I’m not sure that the data table is a great representation of all dogs and all foods yet. So far, they are mostly getting goldens reporting their taurine levels because the original study started out with that breed. There are not a lot of entries for Wellness yet. Don’t know if that means there are not a lot of people feeding it, or just not a lot of people who feed it have submitted test results.

However, it does show trends of foods that are heavy with legumes and potatoes that are being manufactured without the guide of veterinary nutritionists on staff are consistently testing low in dogs of all breeds who have eaten then over a period of time.

I have two lab/golden mix dogs which both breeds seem to be showing up with DCM. I won’t be feeding grain free ever again unless absolutely necessary and then would be one made by Purina. I don’t think Royal Canin ever followed the band wagon with the grain free foods?

As Pitlove stated, “why take the risk”?

[crazy4cats]

It says in big letters for us not to share or reproduce it. Unfortunately, you’d have to join. It is a closed private group at least. It’s actually not a list, but a data table with real people and dogs’ names listed on it.

Which food are you curious about?

The worst offender is Acana by far, followed by Zignature. Both are full of legumes!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Marie-
Did you just order them? Do they have grain? If yes, best of luck to your transition! It’s going to be harder on you than the dogs. Lol!😍

[crazy4cats]

Grain fee foods for the most part are using lentils and potatoes because they are cheap and contain protein. They can up their protein percentage by using these cheap proteins. I don’t think quality grains are any cheaper than lentils and potatoes.

Fromm is dropping duck or lowering it in the ingredient list due to availability issues. So, that is what they told me anyway. I wouldn’t think that should up the price! (Hopefully not)

[crazy4cats]

The vet recommended it.

[crazy4cats]

I’m a little confused about fish as well. You could join the group and ask. I do know that ProPlan has a salmon recipe that has been recommended by the experts on that forum. I’m certainly no expert, but have learned a lot on that FB site.
There is not much bickering on the site, but just enough to keep it entertaining!

[crazy4cats]

I had not heard of using a marsh mallow before. Love it!

[crazy4cats]

Look for a label that specifically says that it is formulated to meet the needs of a large breed puppy. Try Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy food. It has been around for a long time, has a lot of successful history behind it.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, Pro Plan has the AAFCO label.

[crazy4cats]

I am learning that it really isn’t about how much meat is in the food. It is about how it is processed and how all of the ingredients “work” together. It’s a nutrient package, so to speak. I’d stick with chicken, turkey, lamb or beef if you can. They have been around for the longest and have the most testing behind them. Don’t look at the ingredient label from a human stand point. Lol! Keep it simple! Try to stay away from the legumes and potatoes too.

I put a little canned on my dogs’ kibble. It makes it more appetizing. Also, most canned foods are complete and balanced, so no worry of throwing off their needed nutrients. We tend to give too many treats that may do that. Lol!

My suggestions are: Royal Canin, Purina, Hills, Iams, or Eukanuba. Also Farmina, Annamaet, and Authority seem to be doing well on the data table as well, but don’t have as much history behind them.

I just switched to Purina PP from Fromm and Whole Earth Farms before that. Hope this helps!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Dennis-

Maybe this article and video will be helpful:

What You Should Know About the FDA Alert on Grain Free Dog Foods

Also if you do FB, join the taurine-deficient dilated Cardiomyapathy group. There are several vets and the cardiologist who is heading the investigation is active on the site. Neither Canidae’s or Champion’s foods have fared very well on taurine tests according to the taurine data tables.

I would stick to a large company that has been around for a while and has an actual veterinarian nutritionist on staff. For now, I’m avoiding legumes and potatoes that are listed in the first five ingredients. Best wishes for you and your pup. 🐶

[crazy4cats]

Sounds good. I may try that one too. Right now, I went with PPP large breed weight management. I fed it once before with good results. Fingers crossed for both of us.

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