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Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 24 Jul 2018, 13:32
by Olesia711
The latest scare ............. that does NOT give all the details..... is to stay away from grain free food......... :(

I suspect the reason why they are scaring people about "grain free" foods is because many of the grain free foods are so front loaded with potatoes and more recently multiple times loaded with peas (or lentils) ...a very poor protei-v -but cheap for the dog food companies to use... is because by stacking the diet with so much of poor protein the dog food companies are saving money but they are not including enough of the right kind of protein (meat & fish) that has necessary Taurine in it..... something peas and potatoes do not have but something that dogs and cats need.

Grains DO NOT supply our pets with Taurine.... which is what this is all about. Meat & Fish is what mostly supplies Taurine. With our EPI pets...grain/fiber can greatly inhibit the efficacy of enzymes.... and our dogs NEED enzymes to survive.... SO...........PLEASE......... when you hear warnings such as this... dig deeper into the research and learn the "why???" behind the Story.

The following was in the Veterinary Practice News.....July 19, 2018.... but below this article i have also inculded some research into this for your perusal
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"Increase in DCM in dogs may be linked to diet
FDA investigating connection between canine heart disease and pet food ingredients

July 19, 2018
Photo © BigStockPhoto.com


"Instances of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) may be correlated to specific ingredients in pet foods, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The agency is warning veterinary professionals about occurrences of the disease in dogs consuming foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), a collaboration of government and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, are investigating this potential association.

While the cause of DCM is unknown, the disease is thought to have a genetic component. Large and giant breed dogs (e.g. Great Danes, boxers, Newfoundlands, etc.) tend to be more affected, while instances are less common in small and medium breeds (with the exception of American and English cocker spaniels); however, cases reported to the FDA include breeds not typically generally prone to DCM (e.g. golden and Labrador retrievers, whippets, and miniature schnauzers.)

Diets in cases reported to the FDA frequently consist of foods listing potatoes or multiple legumes (e.g. peas, lentils) and their protein, starch, and fiber derivatives early in the ingredient list, suggesting these are main ingredients. Early reports indicate affected dogs consistently ate these foods as their primary source of nutrition for periods ranging from months to years.

In the cases reported to the FDA, some of the dogs demonstrated signs of heart disease, such as decreased energy, cough, difficulty breathing, and episodes of collapse. Medical records for four atypical DCM cases (i.e. three golden retrievers and one Labrador retriever) showed low whole blood levels of taurine, a deficiency that potentially leads to DCM, while four other atypical breeds (a miniature schnauzer, Shih Tzu, and two Labrador retrievers) had normal blood taurine levels.
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The FDA says it will continue to work with veterinary cardiologists and veterinary nutritionists to better understand the clinical presentation of these dogs. The agency has also been in contact with pet food manufacturers to discuss these reports and to help further the investigation.



For more indepth information regarding the above... Low levels of Taurine has LONG been suspected as a trigger for heart disease in some patients (people)... and now ditto for dogs and people. They already figured this out about cats years ago and that is why all cat food is now supplemented with Taurine.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2813349/

“Evidence from mechanistic and animal studies has shown that the main biological actions of taurine include its ability to conjugate bile acids, regulate blood pressure (BP), and act as a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. These actions suggest that high levels of taurine may be protective against coronary heart disease (CHD). However, data from epidemiologic and intervention studies in humans are limited.”



An Abstract on Taurine:

The taurine content of foods including fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, cereals, meat, seafood, and dairy products was examined in this study. The highest concentration of taurine was found in clams and octopus (41.4 micromoles/g and 31.2 micromoles/g), followed by shrimp and fish (12.4 micromoles/g and 9.1 micromoles/g). Beef, pork and lamb meat contain taurine in concentrations ranging 3.5-4.0 micromoles/g. Taurine concentration in chicken leg was 6.6 micromoles/g and in chicken breast was 1.4 micromoles/g. No taurine was found either in hen eggs (yolk or white) or in dairy products or in honey. Taurine was undetectable in fruits and vegetables. From the seeds, cereals and grains examined, rice, corn, oatmeal, rye, wheat, barley, sesame seed, coffee and cacao, contain no taurine. Pumpkin seeds contain 13.5 nmoles/g, black beans 9.2 nmoles/g, horse beans 12.9 nmoles/g, and chick peas 18.7 nmoles/g. No taurine was detected in peanuts. Walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and pinenuts contained taurine in concentrations ranging 15-46 nmoles/g. Pistachios contained very low amounts of taurine (4.9 nmoles/g). All analysis were carried out in uncooked samples. The interest of these results is considered in terms of reported evidences on the deleterious consequences of taurine deficiency in animals and humans


Fish

Fish contain high levels of taurine. The Department of Molecular Biosciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis reports that whole capelin contains 6.174 g of taurine per kilogram of dry weight. Cooked dungeness crab contains 5.964 g of taurine per kilogram of dry weight. Whole mackerel contains 9.295 g of taurine per kilogram of dry weight and Alaskan salmon fillets contain 4.401 g of taurine per kilogram of dry weight.

Meat

Animal meat is a good source of taurine. A variety of large animals. including birds and insects, all contain taurine. Mechanically deboned beef contains about 197 mg taurine per kilogram of dry weight. Beef liver contains about 2.359 g taurine per kilogram of dry weight. Lamb contains about 3.676 g taurine per kilogram of dry weight and chicken liver contains about 6.763 g taurine per kilogram of dry weight, according to a UC Davis study reported in the "Journal of Animal Physiology" in 2003.

Bottom line..... PLEASE do your research, be fully informed and then do what is best for you and your dog :)

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 24 Jul 2018, 14:05
by Madelon
Thanks Olesia for always looking out for our EPI babies and for cutting through the weeds and explaining things in a way we can actually understand ;)

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 24 Jul 2018, 15:31
by Olesia711
Yea, what REALLY upsets me is not the publication... but rather people who read these articles and start spreading rumors without giving all the facts... or known facts to-date.............

I have heard from more than a handful of people stating that folks on other boards are now saying to not feed your dog grain free foods...... for us EPI'rs that can cause a whole host of problems if taken at face value without doing further research into the matter.........

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 25 Jul 2018, 07:41
by Riley's Mom
Thanks again Olesia for doing some research and helping us out with the info!
We will all have to read the dog food ingredients that we feed our pups to make sure they are getting enough taurine.
Do you know, is that something they can do a blood test for to detect levels? Like we do for B12 for example?

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 25 Jul 2018, 09:42
by jilbert57
Thank you Olesia. I have looked on Kiyas senior Idexx comprehensive blood panels for a few years but do not see taurine tested for. Will have to ask for it next time.

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 25 Jul 2018, 10:06
by Olesia711
i honestly don't know if they test or can test for this ... yet (Taurine).....

BUT my understanding from what i was reading is that you can give Taurine supplementation and "supposedly" there are no adverse affects if given too much...........

My personal take on stuff like this is to handle it naturally if possible. For example, since Taurine is in meat & some seafood ... i would research which meats / seafood are appropriate and what is the % of Taurine in them and just add an acceptable amount of wholesome meat or seafood (that agrees with my dog) as a Taurine additive to the food.

At least until we have more valid information / research on Taurine supplements for dogs.

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 26 Jul 2018, 20:45
by Madelon
Another member mentioned there is a test for taurine levels - don't know anything about it but definitely something to ask the vet about.

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 27 Jul 2018, 23:18
by Olesia711
Madelon, Can you find out a little more about the test... is it a blood test, expensive or what............

thanks!

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 29 Jul 2018, 12:15
by Judith
Hi

There is a test for taurine levels using 'whole blood'. Most vet schools and specialty vet hospitals can do it.

The other thing the article fails to mention is that many grain free kibbles are already supplemented with taurine. They include:

Canine Caviar (minimum level listed in guaranteed analysis)
Natural Balance
Earthborn Holistic
Earthborn Venture
Wellness
Wellness Core
Blue Buffalo Wilderness
Stella and Chewy's kibble
Performatrin Ultra (some recipes)

Orijen and Acana have published the taurine content of some of their recipes on their website

If taurine is supplemented you can find it on the list of ingredients

Re: Addressing the recent scare about Grain Free Food

Posted: 29 Jul 2018, 13:11
by jilbert57
Thank you so much Judith! Great information.