
In July 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as “grain-free” and containing a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms. While the FDA and veterinary scientists have yet to pinpoint the underlying mechanism of non-hereditary DCM, also known as diet-related DCM, the FDA did just update their DCM case numbers, and the topic is in the news again. To help readers understand this complicated issue, this blogpost will focus on many of the unfamiliar terms used in the FDA reports.
Heart Disease is Not the Same in Dogs and Cats
Veterinarians often say, “Cats are not small dogs.” When we say this, we mean that the same disease can look very different in the two species. Heart disease is a good example of