Fda: 16 Dog-food Brands With Potential Link To Heart Disease - Could This Apply To Our Kitties Too?

FeralHearts · Jul 14, 2019

While the article refers to dogs and a specific type of heart issue, this has been a hot topic for a long time among cat caretakers too. Many of the vets I've spoken with don't advocate grain-free diets unless the cat has a proven allergy towards it.

FYI My kitties eat wet grain-free. One has HCM, not DCM, which is what is referenced in the article. Still. Makes me think.

It's a good read and many of the brands named and suppose to be great quality, expensive foods.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/dog-...TI9FeslJD8Ynxh7ZnlJI0hVVezd5GR-d-ZX4NRouxeYKo

Edit: I apologize moderators, I wasn't sure if this should be in the Health or Nutrition forums area. Please move where-ever you think it fits best. XO

tabbytom · Jul 14, 2019

This article appeared in our local newspaper The Straits Times on July 5th 2019 :-

MissClouseau · Jul 15, 2019

There was a recent similar thread about grain-free diet if you like to read the responses there too: Vet Says Not To Feed Grain Free Food To Cats

IMO it's wrong to read anything about cats' diet on a study about dogs and vice versa as dogs are omnivores, cats are carnivores. This investigation is *only* about the boutique brands. And what they don't mention trustworthy brands like Hill's, Pro Plan, also have grain-free options and what they replaced grains with aren't really different than say Acana. Peas for example, is a popular substitute. Some GRAINY cat and dog foods from trustworthy brands also have peas. (I'm saying this because the investigation isn't just about these foods being grain-free but also what they replaced grains with. So if it turns out there is a problem, and the problem was say peas or sweet potatoes hypothetically, they might also be existing in the grainy food you changed to after this news.

With that being said, my cat has been on Acana as dry food for over 6 months because nothing else I have tried work so far (she has mysterious allergies and digestive issues.) As a consumer my main problem with these brands is I seriously know zero person whose senior cat has been eating Acana for long long years for example. With Royal Canin, Hill's, Pro Plan I can say "Well this and this and this and this person's cat has lived up to 13, 15, 18 with mostly Royal Canin or Pro Plan" but I cannot say this with Acana or any other brand on that list. And they don't even have feeding trials in the USA -- I'm from Turkey so that wouldn't even really mean much to me but it doesn't give assurance about the brand either. When they say "phosphorus minimum %1,1" for example, how will we know what the MAXIMUM number is and what it does in a cat's body especially in the longterm?

DCM fear is a bit overreaction as it's a rare disease and reversible if you catch it early (speak to a vet for an exam.) But there are other valid things to be concerned about if you ask me

Libby. · Jul 15, 2019

I looked at the link from the fda and it appears that a majority of dogs who were on the grain-free diets and were diagnosed with heart disease were senior dogs and breeds that were prone to heart disease like Great Danes and Bulldogs.

https://www.fda.gov/media/128303/download

Libby. · Jul 15, 2019

MissClouseau said:
There was a recent similar thread about grain-free diet if you like to read the responses there too: Vet Says Not To Feed Grain Free Food To Cats

IMO it's wrong to read anything about cats' diet on a study about dogs and vice versa as dogs are omnivores, cats are carnivores. This investigation is *only* about the boutique brands. And what they don't mention trustworthy brands like Hill's, Pro Plan, also have grain-free options and what they replaced grains with aren't really different than say Acana. Peas for example, is a popular substitute. Some GRAINY cat and dog foods from trustworthy brands also have peas. (I'm saying this because the investigation isn't just about these foods being grain-free but also what they replaced grains with. So if it turns out there is a problem, and the problem was say peas or sweet potatoes hypothetically, they might also be existing in the grainy food you changed to after this news.

With that being said, my cat has been on Acana as dry food for over 6 months because nothing else I have tried work so far (she has mysterious allergies and digestive issues.) As a consumer my main problem with these brands is I seriously know zero person whose senior cat has been eating Acana for long long years for example. With Royal Canin, Hill's, Pro Plan I can say "Well this and this and this and this person's cat has lived up to 13, 15, 18 with mostly Royal Canin or Pro Plan" but I cannot say this with Acana or any other brand on that list. And they don't even have feeding trials in the USA -- I'm from Turkey so that wouldn't even really mean much to me but it doesn't give assurance about the brand either. When they say "phosphorus minimum %1,1" for example, how will we know what the MAXIMUM number is and what it does in a cat's body especially in the longterm?

DCM fear is a bit overreaction as it's a rare disease and reversible if you catch it early (speak to a vet for an exam.) But there are other valid things to be concerned about if you ask me

If you would like to be proactive you could supplement your cat's food with 250mg taurine powder and 30mg CoQ10. Both are good for the heart.

LTS3 · Jul 15, 2019

Another TCS thread on the subject:

Worried Sick That I May Be Killing My Cats

Please keep in mind that the heart issue related to grain-free diets is only known in dogs. There is no evidence to suggest, at this time, that grain-free diets also cause heart issues in cats. Be wary of fear-mongering and the like online. There are people out there who will immediately start spreading misinformation to others with no reference to published articles.

Here is additional info from a veterinary school:

It’s Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy
A broken heart: Risk of heart disease in boutique or grain-free diets and exotic ingredients
UC Davis Investigates Link Between Dog Diets and Deadly Heart Disease

Fda: 16 Dog-food Brands With Potential Link To Heart Disease - Could This Apply To Our Kitties Too?

FeralHearts

TCS Member

Thread starter

tabbytom

Happiness is being owned by a cat

MissClouseau

TCS Member

Libby.

TCS Member

Libby.

TCS Member

LTS3

TCS Member

Latest Posts

Connect with us