Stewardship to the pets of our community is one of our company’s core values, and something that we take very seriously. As such, we have been monitoring the FDA’s studies on grain free dog foods quite closely. On June 27, 2019, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration posted an update on a condition in dogs known as Dilated Cardio Myopathy (DCM) which included reports it has received regarding pets with DCM. The update listed a few pet food brands by name as foods that some pets who were diagnosed with DCM had eaten. It did not claim to prove any causal link between those brands and the condition.
Congenital heart disease has been recognized in 0.56% to 0.85% of dogs for many years (Detweiler and Patterson, 1965). The report only touches upon the genetic or congenital prevalence of the disease, hinting that the disease may have a nutritional component without suggesting a nutritional solution.
The FDA’s announcement says it is “continuing to investigate and gather more information in an effort to identify whether there is a specific dietary link to the development of DCM.” More specifically, its announcement today provides no causative scientific link between DCM and any products we offer, ingredients or grain-free diets as a whole. We think it is misleading for the FDA to post the names of brands, while at the same time fully stating that they have no scientific evidence linking diet to DCM.
As you can see, we are monitoring this. Please rest assured that we would never knowingly put any pets at risk for profits. You and the rest of the loyal Leo&Lucky’s community should use us as a trusted resource when questions such as these arise. Let us help guide you. We research and train on these matters daily. If anyone remains concerned please visit the store, our staff is informed on this matter and has solutions to help provide you with peace of mind.
