A recent study was picked up by news organizations around the world. The articles on the study screamed grain-free dog food was making pets sick. These catchy headlines certainly grab the attention of pet lovers, but they don’t tell the whole story. Veterinary researchers have uncovered a link between grain-free kibble, taurine deficiency and the heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in certain breeds of dogs.
With today’s smart consumer knowing that dog food is more than just pretty packaging, the demand for grain-free dog food has been growing. That means companies that make grain-free dog food are growing and not all of them are doing a good job of meeting animal requirements. A grain-free dog good that is mostly peas or potato, and very little meat, is still a poor choice to feed a carnivore.
While the study was completed on grain-free dog food, this does not mean that switching to a grain filled dog food will correct the problem. The problem isn’t with grain-free dog food. The problem is with “complete and balanced” dog food. The truth is, we are still searching for the definition of “complete and balanced” dog food. Scientists have discovered that dogs have a nutritional need for taurine.
Dog food manufacturers are not required to add taurine to dog food, so more and more pets are developing cardiomyopathy. Taurine comes from animal sources, and can’t be found in grains. There may be other missing ingredients in kibble that are causing this heart condition to crop up. Switching to a grain filled food is not the solution. After all, how many dogs have you seen out grazing in a field of corn?
Just because a dog food is labeled as “complete and balanced”, it is only complete as far as we know. The more we learn about our beloved pet’s nutritional needs, the more we discover that “complete and balanced” isn’t as perfect as we thought.
The best way to combat what we don’t know is to feed fresh, biologically appropriate food whenever possible, and to supplement in order to fill in any gaps. No matter how great a kibble you buy, it is still just a dried biscuit in the end, and can only do so much nutritionally.
If you are looking for an easy taurine supplement, feed your dog heart treats from our treat section. This tail-wagging good treat will also help supply the needed taurine that is not found in their kibble. We also carry a taurine supplement by Wysong. Raw fermented goat’s milk is also an excellent source of taurine and is packws with many nutritional benefits for your dog. Our Answers Raw Goat’s Milk can be found in our freezer.