Kirkendall: Grains are friends, not fillers for pets | Features

The basis of the theory makes sense. Dogs and cats are in the order carnivora, meaning they eat meat. So, why should grains be in their diets? Don’t they lack the enzymes to process these ingredients? Isn’t grain just a “filler,” put in there by pet food companies for no purpose other than to bulk up the food?

Dogs are considered omnivores, or facultative carnivores, meaning they consume both plant and animal-based foods. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning their diet must contain meat. However, this doesn’t mean that dogs and cats cannot digest plant-derived carbohydrates.

No, your dog is not a wolf and does not need to eat like one. In the tens of thousands of years it took for dogs to change from wolves, their physiology changed, as well as their outward appearance. Based on analysis of remains from prehistoric dogs, the leading theory on how dogs evolved from wolves is that these early dogs fed off the scraps, which included cereal grains left over from our hunter-gatherer ancestors. There is recent research that indicates that dogs in Spain during the Bronze Age ate a diet consisting primarily of vegetables and grains.

A cat will not be healthy on a vegetarian diet. As long as the grains are prepared and presented appropriately to the cat’s gastrointestinal system in a way that bypasses some of their physiological limitations when it comes to digesting grains, cats are able to absorb the nutrients those ingredients provide.

The most important factor in pets having the ability to digest these ingredients is related to appropriate sourcing and preparation of the ingredients.

According to veterinary nutritionists at Tuft’s School of Veterinary Medicine, the starch sources of carbohydrates in appropriately prepared dog and cat foods is highly digestible, often more that 95%.

A combination of savvy marketing, misinformation and well-meaning pet owners and professionals has led to a boom in “grain-free” and other “boutique” diets in the past decade.

Grains are an excellent source of many nutrients, including protein and essential fatty acids.

Grains also are not a common cause of food allergies in pets, another popular misconception. The protein sources (chicken, beef, etc.) are more likely to be the trigger in food allergies.

In the past several years, a potentially life-threatening side effect of eating some grain-free and boutique foods has been noted. First reported by the veterinary nutritionists at UC-Davis, a link has been found between dogs fed some of these diets and the development of a deadly heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

This disease causes the muscles of the heart to weaken and the chambers in the heart to expand, decreasing the heart’s ability to pump blood, which can lead to congestive heart failure.

Large breed dogs such as Golden Retrievers, Great Danes and Dobermans have a higher predisposition to developing hereditary DCM than smaller breeds.

A higher-than-average link between feeding these diets and development of non-hereditary DCM has been noted and the correlation is so strong that the FDA has issued warnings to pet owners. The FDA received more than 1,100 reports of potential non-hereditary DCM in dogs between 2014 and 2020, with more than 280 of those dogs dying. Several of the cases involved multiple dogs in the same household, fed the same food.

Researchers are trying to establish the link between these diets and the development of DCM. Since the links are not understood, none of these grain-free diets have been recalled.

According to the most recent information from the FDA, it appears that most diets associated with development of non-hereditary DCM have legume seed ingredients such as peas and lentils that have been used to replace the grain components and make them “grain-free.”

Soy also is considered a legume, but it does not appear to be a culprit. Initially, potato also was implicated, although that link isn’t as clear with further review.

These are common ingredients in pet foods and have been for years without causing an issue. The problem might stem from some brands pushing these elements toward becoming primary ingredients. However, even that theory is murky, and other factors such as how those components are processed and where those ingredients come from likely play a factor.

So, what is a pet owner to do?

Consult with your veterinarian about what foods are the most appropriate for pets. Try not to get distracted by the marketing that goes into those fancy pet food labels. If your pet is on a grain-free food, discuss this with your veterinarian.

Remember, not all grain-free foods have been implicated in this health concern. Fortunately, if caught early enough, the damage done in dogs that have developed DCM due to being on these foods appears to be reversible when affected dogs are switched to a different diet.