16 Brands of Dog Food Possibly Linked to Canine Heart Disease

Yesterday, the FDA announced that they are investigating a spike in reported cases of canine heart disease (over 500 of them between January 2014 and April 2019) and their possible connection to 16 brands of pet food. The brand names and their respective number of reported
Dilated cardiomyopathy (also referred to as DCM) cases that the FDA suspects are related to each one are:

Acana: 67 reported cases
Zignature: 64 reported cases
Taste of the Wild: 53 reported cases
4Health: 32 reported cases
Earthborn Holistic: 32 reported cases
Blue Buffalo: 31 reported cases
Nature’s Domain: 29 reported cases
Fromm: 24 reported cases
Merrick: 16 reported cases
California Natural: 15 reported cases
Natural Balance: 15 reported cases
Orijen: 12 reported cases
Nature’s Variety: 11 reported cases
NutriSource: 10 reported cases
Nutro: 10 reported cases
Rachael Ray Nutrish: 10 reported cases

A common denominator between most of the dog foods listed above is that they are usually labeled “grain-free” and contain a large proportion of peas, lentils, legume seeds or potatoes, according to the FDA.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) is enlarged and weakened to the extent that it loses its ability to pump blood. As you would expect, this is a potentially life-threatening issue that can ultimately lead to congestive heart failure, so we strongly recommend that all pet owners who have been feeding their dogs any of the above-named brands of food consult their veterinarian immediately for a healthy heart checkup

At Gillcrest Cavaliers, we both use and recommend Royal Canin Small Puppy Dry Dog Food for our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies. As far as what to migrate your Cavalier to when they leave puppy-hood, we think it’s best to consult with your veterinarian about what he/she recommends. The brands of adult dry dog food you might consider are: