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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