What does FDA's DCM alert mean?July 8, 2019Last week brought a revealing announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After frequent and persistent petitioning from veterinarians, veterinary nutritionists, and caregivers, the FDA finally released a list of the brands that have been linked to cases of diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Since June 27, my inbox and social media sites have been blowing up with shares, retweets, and emails from concerned friends and family. The story was even picked up by major new outlets such as CNN and ABC, adding to the fervor. But I'm conflicted about this report. On one hand, certain pet food manufacturers have taken a very cavalier approach to their diet's role in this preventable and potentially deadly disease. Because only a relatively "small percentage" of dogs develop diet-associated DCM on their foods, they insist there is no problem, ignoring the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. On the other hand, the FDA's report paints a broad stroke over specific brands and is being interpreted (at least by the concerned friends and owners I've talked to) as an indictment of all "grain-free" diets or of certain manufacturers, which is a less than helpful oversimplification of a complex problem. As I advised in my …
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Veterinary professionals, pet owners divided on pet food claimsJune 26, 2019When it comes to an animal’s nutrition, veterinary professionals and pet owners remain divided on several dietary trends.
Are vegan or vegetarian diets good for pets?June 24, 2019Pet owners frequently project their beliefs about human health onto their companion animals. Anxieties about purported harms from vaccines in children, for example, have spurred an anti-vaccination movement among veterinarians and pet owners.
Dermatology and nutrition: Beyond food allergyApril 29, 2019 When dogs and cats present with skin disorders, the initial approach is to collect a history, do a physical exam, and then perform diagnostic tests to rule in or rule out common conditions. After establishing a tentative diagnosis, most veterinarians will next consider which medications are most appropriate (e.g. antibiotics, antifungals, parasiticides). It is not as common to consider diet and nutrition as part of the workup and treatment for dermatologic disorders, other than performing elimination diet trials for suspected cutaneous adverse food reaction (food allergy). However, the right diets, nutrients, and sometimes nutritional supplements can have a significant benefit in improving or resolving certain skin disorders. This article highlights some of the options for incorporating nutritional science into the management of dermatologic disorders. Cutaneous adverse food reaction The most common presentation for a dog or cat with cutaneous adverse food reaction (CAFR) is nonseasonal pruritus, although other syndromes such as otitis externa and gastrointestinal (GI) upset may occur.1,2 While some companies offer "food allergy testing" using serum, saliva, or even hair clippings, the only valid diagnostic test is an elimination diet trial. There are a number of veterinary therapeutic diets that can be used for diet trials and …
Study finds only low levels of methylmercury in dog foodApril 25, 2019A study by the University of California (UC), Davis on levels of methylmercury in samplings of commercial dog food has found low concentrations in the majority of the tested brands. Only three of the 24 types of dog food tested positive for low concentrations of total mercury, and only one contained detectable methylmercury. "The concentrations detected are unlikely to pose a risk to healthy adult dogs," says lead author, Rae Sires, a nutrition resident at UC, Davis's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. "These results should be reassuring to dog owners." Other studies have measured total mercury in dog food, but this is the first time testing for methylmercury has been done. As methylmercury is present in aquatic species, researchers evaluated dog food containing fish, as well as fish-free foods. They found two of the three positive samples among the non-fish diets, which suggests common sources of mercury in pet foods. "We need more data to determine where the total mercury detected in dog foods is coming from, but our study doesn't support avoiding fish or salmon-based diets," Sires says.
Stoner news: Struvite diets for cats and dogsMarch 28, 2019While struvite uroliths may in some cases require surgical intervention, the recommended standard of care by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) is medical dissolution with a therapeutic diet formulated to alter urine acidity and encourage water consumption. Dietary dissolution of struvite stones is both effective and inexpensive. Therapeutic diets limit calculogenic compounds (e.g. phosphorus and magnesium) and acidify urine. That makes the urine a less welcoming environment for stone formation and dissolves stones that are present. Concerns medical dissolution places pets at risk of urethral obstruction are not borne out by the literature, according to the ACVIM consensus statement, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM) in 2016. Dietary management itself has changed as well. The shift from struvite-only dissolution or prevention diets to combination struvite dissolution/prevention and calcium oxalate prevention diets is the biggest change in management of these uroliths, says Cailin Heinze, VMD, Dipl. ACVN, assistant professor of nutrition at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Causes differ Struvite uroliths occur in both dogs and cats, but have different causes. In dogs, struvite stones—the most common type seen—develop almost exclusively as a result of urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by …
Talking the talk—What to say when clients prefer raw dietsMarch 21, 2019One only needs to pay attention to the news or trending items on Facebook to see the spate of pet food recalls happening in our country. And with an uptick of pet parents feeding their dogs raw or freeze-dried raw food, it is important veterinarians have honest and open conversations with their clients about concerns surrounding these diets. The following is American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA's) position statement on raw diets: "AVMA discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs, as well as humans." Katy Nelson, DVM, medical director of Pet Health for Stop Aging Now, agrees. "Cooking or pasteurization through the application of heat until the protein reaches an internal temperature adequate to destroy pathogenic organisms has been the traditional method used to eliminate pathogens in animal-source protein, although the AVMA recognizes that newer technologies and other methods, such as irradiation, are constantly being developed and implemented," Dr. Nelson says. "Most veterinarians are going to listen to the governing body of our profession, as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and …
Before you change the diet…February 7, 2019Naughty Girl is a healthy six-month old terrier puppy who is being fed a complete and balanced commercial growth food. She lives with Bad Boy, a four-year old beagle-spaniel cross who is fed an adult maintenance dog food. Bad Boy is brought to your clinic for a two-day history of vomiting and acting sluggish (or punky). Your physical exam reveals some pain on abdominal palpation and a lab test for canine pancreas-specific lipase is "abnormal," suggesting an elevated lipase level. Your suspicion of pancreatitis is high and, after rehydrating the dog with fluids, you send him home on a fat-restricted therapeutic diet. Is a diet change warranted in this situation? Nutrition textbooks and veterinary nutritionists refer to dietary fat as a "nutrient of concern" or "key nutritional factor" when talking about nutritional management for patients with pancreatitis. However, before automatically switching a patient's diet, conduct a thorough nutritional assessment to get the whole picture of what's happening in the home environment. Performing a nutritional assessment involves collecting information about the patient, the diet, and feeding management (Baldwin, et. al. 2010). This is not a process that involves extra time or work—a nutritional assessment begins with routine information collected about …
Fit from fatSeptember 21, 2017I must confess: I believe most pet owners dread hearing me suggest a weight loss plan for their pet. I also confide that I think many veterinarians tremble at the thought of proposing a weight loss plan. To further complicate matters, I believe pet weight loss is as much an art as it is a science.
How equine veterinarians can help demystify horse nutritionJune 14, 2017For many horse owners, perhaps nothing is more confusing than trying to figure out the “best” way to feed their horse(s). They are confronted with a seemingly endless array of do’s, don’ts, can’ts and musts that can make feeding a confusing and expensive task.
