Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)

💔 Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)

This is a topic often brought up as it has many pet parents concerned about their dog's health and rightfully so. Its a horrible disease, its a death sentence for a dog who gets it, and many pet parents are left questioning "WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY DOG?!"

Rodney Habib hosted a live discussion on this topic where he compared four dry dog food brands...and many pet parents are feeling more confused than ever once the live ended. The four dry foods were analyzed by a private lab to determine their amino acid, b vitamin, and protein macronutrient profile in regards to we the DCM issues. The take away from the video should have been the following:

1️⃣ AAFCO minimum requirements for nutrients are incredibly low.

2️⃣ Formulation standards need to be revised asap!

3️⃣ There are a lot of working components to this problem.

However, the overwhelming response from pet parents after the video was "Should we feed Purina Pro Plan to protect our dogs' heart?!"...My quick answer is "No." The video was intended to bring more awareness to the three points above because the four dry dog foods compared were all AAFCO formulated foods! 

Not all pet parents will feed "beyond the bag" and its a very romantic idea to think everyone will. We need to be realistic here and put our cognitive biases aside because we may come off as raw elitist and then we end up shooting ourself in the foot when we want to effect positive change! You attract more flies with honey! 

We need to take a step back, breathe, and understand this problem from all of the angles. There are a lot of working components here – INCLUDING THE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE PET PARENTS HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO FEEDING PROCESSED VS FRESH FOOD! There are 3 components to the DCM issue we need to be aware of:

1️⃣ AAFCO minimum requirements for amino acids to produce a "complete and balanced" food are too low. When AAFCO mins are compared to FIEDAF and NRC, the levels are astoundingly low! 

2️⃣ Grain free dry dog foods need starch to make kibble. Non-grain starchy foods, such as legumes, contain a large amount of anti-nutrients which affect nutrients absorption.

3️⃣ There are dog breeds with genetic predisposition to DCM – Doberman Pinchers is a very common breed associated with this disease. Secondly, Golden Retrievers are high on the list with dietary induces DCM. However, this is not to downplay the severity of this issue and how numerous other breeds have succumb to this disease. I have only listed two breeds as an example, there are many others who have been effected by genetic and dietary DCM...but perhaps *there is more* about genetics we are unaware of today in regards to dietary induced DCM...more data is needed. 

Why do these points matter? Amino acids are needed for many biological processes. The essential amino acids Methionine and Cysteine are the precursors to Taurine synthesization in dogs. 

Taurine is not considered an essential dietary amino acid for dogs. Unlike cats, dogs are able to synthesize sufficient Taurine when the sulphur amino acid precursors, Methionine and/or Cysteine, are present in adequate amounts in the diet. However there are medical conditions and genetic co-factors that increase the need for the amino acid Taurine.

Dogs with heart conditions have higher requirements for taurine. Additionally, there are certain dog breeds who have a genetic predisposition to heart conditions. It is recommended to ensure adequate amino acid intake is met for dogs who have a heart condition or a breed known for genetic heart conditions.

AAFCO amino acid mins are incredibly low when you compare their minimum requirements to FIEDAF and NRC. This is problem number one because a diet with insufficient amino acids will not support healthy organ and muscle function. 

Next, starch is needed to create kibble. When grains are removed from formulation, the starch needs to come from a different ingredient to successfully make dry dog food. Enter in legumes which have an incredible amount of anti-nutrients. Lectins, phytates, and even high amounts of fiber inhibit nutrient absorption. Legumes are loaded with anti-nutrients and legumes are heavily used in grain free foods. 

There is a reason why I routinely tell the members of Raw Feeding University - RFU to pre-soak and wash all seeds, nuts, and grains 24 hours prior to feeding. This processing step matters which significantly reduces anti-nutrients. There is a reason why our ancestors (humans) did these methods when cooking grains and legumes in their diet. Flash forward to the 21st century and these practices are not even discussed in HUMAN nutrition. This is also a problem!

We know kibble companies are using legumes ingredients without the appropriate processing and therefore the kibble is loaded with anti-nutrients which FURTHER inhibits nutrient absorption.

Next, legumes are HIGH in protein but they are considered an incomplete protein. This means they do not supply all essential amino acids necessary for healthy organ and muscle functions. Kibble companies use these ingredients to give the false appearance that the food is high in protein but many do not realize that it is incomplete in amino acids. Combine point 1 and point 2, then you have a double edge sword.

A diet already low in amino acids and paired with anti-nutrients that inhibit nutrient absorption is a recipe for disaster for a dog that has a genetic disposition to DCM.

"BUT RAW DIETS ARE SHOWING ISSUES WITH DCM!!" many will point out but these VERY small instances are dogs on poorly formulated raw diets. There are LOADS of companies jumping onto the fresh food bandwagon which I find admirable BUT many companies are cutting corners and are not producing nutritionally complete foods. 

Can a raw diet be deficient in amino acids? Yes, if you do not feed appropriate foods or feed foods in inappropriate amounts. Extremely high fat diets are amino acid deficient but this does not go to say that the diet needs to be a low fat diet either. Dogs NEED fat, we just have to find the right balance – feeding 10% fat content in a raw diet is standard for a healthy dog.

This DCM issue is still being investigated and I have a gut suspicion it will be going on for a very long time. As DIY raw feeders we have the absolute control over what we put inside our dogs...so instead of running to the store and thinking Purina Pro Plan is the solution to this DCM issue....stop, breathe, read the present available data, and ask questions.

We are here to help you get your dog onto a full balanced raw diet and we are happy to help you every step of the way. I'm confident that a well balanced raw diet using fresh whole foods is what our dogs NEED and DESERVE...and when we do it right, everyone wins!

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Watch Rodney Habib's live:
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib/videos/10157561547902028/

Join Raw Feeding University:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rawfeedinguniversity/

Free Raw NRC Balanced Recipes:
https://perfectlyrawsome.com/category/free-dog-raw-feeding-recipes/

Custom Raw Feeding Meal Plans:
https://perfectlyrawsome.com/custom-raw-feeding-meal-plan/

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Protect Your Right to Feed Fresh

So, what can we do to make sure that the government doesn't step in and take away our choices?

The Next Gen PFMA started a petition to get the ball started.  Next Gen PFMA is a non-profit organization that is working hard to educate the government of the value of feeding fresh food while helping brands understand their rights when the FDA knocks on their door.

"Regulators are destroying your freedom of choice by eliminating the option of raw or minimally processed commercial pet food. Your right to purchase and feed raw or minimally processed pet food manufactured by small family and independent companies is being eroded by big business and government."

Today, I'm writing to ask you to please sign this petition.  We need 15,000 signatures and at the time of this email, we've passed 3,000.  The only way we're going to be able to protect our right to feed our pets a fresh food diet is to come together and support each other: Sign the Petition

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Sign the Petition - and then please come over to my Facebook Page and let me know that you signed!

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