![]() Instead, consult with your vet as dogs can develop DCM from nutritional origins and not be taurine-deficient. Stern said consumers who are concerned about their dog's health, should not naively switch their dog's diet or simply add a taurine supplement. She came out of heart failure after switching diets. ![]() Suva, a female golden retriever, was treated at UC Davis. Nine of 11 dogs in this group with the most advanced stage of the disease, congestive heart failure, also showed dramatic improvements or no longer had congestion. Stern then prescribed the dogs a diet change and taurine supplementation. Twenty-three of the 24 dogs diagnosed with DCM had also been fed diets that were either grain-free, legume-rich or a combination. Stern's research involved 24 golden retrievers with dilated cardiomyopathy and a documented taurine deficiency, representing the largest collection of cases with this condition that has been published. The FDA continues to research this issue in an effort to help identify the exact dietary factor causing the problem. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert to pet owners and veterinarians about the potential association between the diets and DCM. He began noticing the trend two years ago and is now treating many dogs with nutritionally mediated DCM that were all eating quite similar diets. The common link unifying these cases is their diets. Stern said while some dog breeds are more genetically prone to a traditional form of DCM, the disease is now showing up unexpectedly in other breeds, such as the golden retriever. "Choosing a well-researched dog food that has a healthy nutrient profile backed by expert formulation and research is of paramount importance." "Given this recent surge in cases, we need to pay close attention to what we are feeding dogs," said lead author Joshua Stern, a veterinary cardiologist and geneticist at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Taurine deficiency has been known for many years to lead to dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, a heart muscle disorder that can lead to congestive heart failure and death. Researchers found dogs eating some of these boutique diets are not making or maintaining enough taurine, an amino acid important for heart health.
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