Dog food

I used to be a dog food snob. Only grain free. No corn (it’s like feeding your pup McDonalds! ... is probably something I’ve said, probably a lot). Etc. Taste of the Wild, EVO, etc. Most recently, Canidae Pure Elements. But then I started reading about dilated cardiomyopathy ( “DCM”). I think the first time I encountered it was in this thread on reddit.

The FDA has announced they are investigating DCM, and named a list of foods that had been, at least tentatively, linked to DCM fatalities: Arcana, Zignature, Taste of the Wild, 4Health, Earthbloom Holistic, Blue Buffalo, Nature’s Domain, Fromm, Merrick, California Natural, Natural Balance, Orijen, Nature’s Variety, NutriSource, Nutro, Rachael Ray Nutrish. I discussed it with my late Labrador’s oncologist (at a specialty practice; they don’t sell dog food, or AFAIK have any interest in what you feed), who wrote:
I am on a merciless crusade to re-educate the public that Purina, Royal Canin and Hills are veterinarian recommened for a reason and do long term feeding trials to prevent stuff like this from happening and employ veterinary nutritionists.  My dogs have always eaten Purina (either Proplan or vet diet like Bright Minds or tummy diet like EN) or Hills science diet any maintenance diet.  I think Purina is more palatable.
Our regular vet made the same recommendations, as did my mom’s dogs’ vet, when we happened to discuss dog food on a dive boat during a recent shark diving excursion.

My “senior” mutt
So, now, my ~9 year old street stray rescue mutt is on Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind 7+ and thank the gods they’re changing the bag. (Edit: August 2021, she’s still on the Pro Plan, and still thriving, now ~11 years old.)

 

Meanwhile, my spoiled prince, an AKC registered Labrador puppy, started life on Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy, which the breeder recommended I discontinue at 6 months. I switched him to Royal Canin Labrador Puppy, which he loves (he has a slow feeder bowl, which helps a little, but he scarfs food down like, well, like a teenager). The feeding guidelines for that food call for it to be fed until 15 months, though everyone in the dog community seems to have an opinion as to when to shift off of puppy food. So I asked Royal Canin the “why” behind that cut-off. Their reply: “The reason for 15 months is the larger the dog the longer it takes for them to reach full size and adulthood. Though a Labrador maybe near full height at 7, 8 months they are still growing the muscles and nerves to support that size. The difference between the puppy and adult product is that the puppy will have higher Calories, Fat, and Protein amounts to support that growth.” So, there you have it. Oh, and here’s the brat:

My Labrador at about 11 months

Edit (May 2021): I found this post on r/dogs; awesome. Tweaked excerpt:

“I look at trial data to see conformity with WSAVA ... Royal Canin has THOUSANDS of publicly published articles on feeding trials. They have articles on salt ratios to maximize bio-absorption to taste studies to teeth geometry. If you seriously think that choosing a backyard brand of dog food with ‘sexy’ ingredients is a more informed decision than buying ‘filler’ ingredient foods from veterinarian and regulatory backed dog food brands ... you’re nuts!!”

Edit (July 2021): This bot post contains tons of great information (sourced!) on WSAVA, DCM, etc. Excerpts:

The current recommended food to feed is kibble that follows WSAVA guidelines. These brands are as follows: Purina, Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Eukanuba, and Iams. This is because there has been an association found between Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), a form of heart disease, and certain dog foods.

...

When reviewing information about dog food on the internet, it's important to keep in mind the credentials of the author. Board-certified veterinary nutritionists, NOT 'pet nutritionists', random bloggers, or pet store/pet food employees should be who you listen to, as they have formal education in that area and it is literally their job. 

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