Copyright : Evgeny Sofrygin

Pets Australia was warmly welcomed by the Senate Committee Inquiry into Pet Food, with many comments about member’s sensible ideas and rational approach.

You can see the submission which was presented to the Committee HERE. Pets Australia was questioned about the standards applying to pet food ingredients and the pet food industry, the steps and commercial rationale behind setting up a product recall, how to establish whether a disease is CAUSED by an ingredient (including a short discussion on statistics). We discussed the association between “Grain free” and taurine investigation by the FDA(see here for more information), and how a Code of Practice could be administered in Australia. The Committee actually suggested a “tick” marketing mark or companies who had a series of positive audits!

This Committee is not necessarily keen to regulate beyond the minimum necessary to maintain standards, recognising that this adds significant costs to innovative local food manufacturers.

The Cat Protection Society and Nestle, who were present, both endorsed every aspect of the Pets Australia submission, so we must be doing something right!

Can grain free dog diets cause deadly heart disease? The FDA is investigating after a number of cases of Dilated Cardiomyopathy associated with grain free pet food. But is it all it seems? Find out all about Taurine and why it’s so important, and what to do about grain free diets.

Taurine is a protein essential to life.  Dogs apparently make their own through normal metabolism, and apparently make enough to supply all their needs. Cats do not, have must have a diet with taurine in it to survive. That’s why you can feed cat food to dogs but not the other way around. Some dog breeds have been found to have “genetic” taurine deficiency (eg Cocker Spaniels) READ HERE but the “usual” dog doesn’t need it in the diet.

Recently there have been a number of cases identified in the USA where dogs have developed dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) after eating grain free diets. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now investigating. READ HERE They have been alerted by a small number of cases, but across widely separated breeds and all on grain free diets. READ MORE on this issue from the renowned Tufts University

DCM has no cure. Dogs are made comfortable with powerful medicines while they fade and die. Symptoms include loss of ability to exercise cough, abdominal fluid (ascites), and in the late stages fainting and rapid, distressed breathing.

Taurine can be included in dog diets as it is an ingredient generally regarded as safe.

What to do now?

If you are recommending a dog food to a client, you are legally responsible for that recommendation.  Our suggestion until this issue plays out further is to avoid recommending grain free diets unless there is a real and genuine reason to do so (eg the client has been recommended the product by a veterinarian). We will update you as more information comes to hand.