Taurine Deficiency

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Saw this in Doodle Family on FB and wanted the experts opinion.

Grain-Free Feeders - PLEASE READ:

We all know how difficult it is to make decisions regarding diet for our pets. I am sharing this information not to add additional worry or concern but to educate. I came across this yesterday when it was shared by a vet dermatologist in another group. I have been trying to get additional information since then and joined the Facebook page linked to the taurine deficiency research being conducted by Dr. Joshua Stern (vet cardiologist) at UC Davis. Here is what I know so far:

* DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) is a serious medical condition that impacts the muscles of the heart and reduces its ability to pump blood.
* Symptoms include lethargy, weakness, weight loss, collapse, coughing, increased respiratory rate, abdominal distention, irregular heart rhythm.
* Some breeds seem to have a genetic predisposition including Cocker Spaniels and large breed dogs particularly Golden Retrievers, Labradors, St. Bernards and Newfoundlands.
* Current research (not yet published) has identified a link between grain-free dogs foods that include peas and legumes and taurine deficiency that can lead to DCM. On the Taurine Deficiency page, the most commonly reported foods from owners of dogs with DCM are: Nutrisource, Acana (particularly pork and butternut squash), 4Health, Zignature, Taste of the Wild, Earthborn Holistic.
* It is believed that the peas/legumes may inhibit some dogs ability to produce or absorb taurine.
* The current recommendation is that if a food heavy in peas and legumes is being fed, consider a whole blood taurine test before any dietary changes are made. If the blood results indicate taurine is low, echocardiography is recommended.

I know that many of us use these foods and some of us have limited options in what to feed our dogs. I just wanted to bring this information forward and encourage you to discuss with your vet/IMS to decide whether this could be a concern for your pup.

https://www.facebook.com/julie.carter.37266/posts/10215672525987711

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Looking at Victor, I am not 100% comfortable with recommending it to the point that I would put it on our recommended list. The ingredients in the formula you are feeding look fine. The nutritional profile also looks fine, although I would like to see a higher protein percentage. My problem is with the sourcing; the company is not very transparent or forthcoming about where the ingredients come from. The company that makes Victor, Mid America Foods, is part of a large private equity firm called Trinity Hunt Partners, and their main focus in life is investment growth, not pet food. I prefer companies that only make pet food and don;t have shareholders. :)

One of the criteria I use when evaluating a brand is to see where in my area that brand is sold. here in the Chicago area, we have several chains of small, privately owned pet supply stores that will not sell any food product that contains any ingredients from China or other third world countries. They guarantee this, which makes it nice because you can buy anything they carry without having to do your own research on that brand, lol. Victor is only sold in feed supply stores in my area. Bentley's doesn;t carry it, Kriser's doesn;t carry it, Pet People doesn;t carry it, even Petco (who recently started a policy of not carrying any food with ingredients from China) doesn;t carry it. That doesn;t necessarily mean it's a bad product, but it does keep me from recommending it at this time.
So while I don't think there is any reason for you to worry about the food, I do think there are better choices if you are just looking for something reasonably priced that doesn;t contain chicken. 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Karen, off topic, but I see you mention Bentley's here.  How are they doing in your area.  we have 4 open in the Cincinnati area within the last year and 3 are already closed.  By the time I even knew they were here, they were closing, sad!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm shocked. They are doing phenomenally well here and elsewhere. They actually started here in my area, with one mom and pop store in the suburb next to mine. The owner and his wife used to wait on me! They are now nationwide and have an online ordering & delivery website as well.
I know there is a perception that "fancy" small boutique stores have higher prices than big chains, but actually, Bentley's is cheaper on all of their foods than Pet Supplies Plus and some of the bigger chains. Perhaps that was the problem in the areas where the stores closed? Socioeconomics and owner education about the importance of quality foods does play a role, I imagine. But you'd think they would have researched that. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/retail-success-stories/e...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here is a really good article that presents the facts on this issue, in depth. I think after you read it, you will feel much better about staying with your current food:
https://thesciencedog.wordpress.com/2018/08/30/the-heart-of-the-mat...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here is an article on the Morris Foundation website about the exact study mentioned here in this FB article. Except this one has all the facts straight:
https://caninelifetimehealth.org/all/study-participant-news/researc...

You might want to post this in the DF group on FB. Not that anyone will read it. But for those who do, perhaps it will set their minds to rest that this has absolutely nothing to do with Zignature or any other brand we recommend here. 

From the article:

The role of diet in taurine deficiency and DCM

It was logical for veterinary cardiologists to focus on diet as the root cause of DCM related to taurine deficiency. For many dogs with DCM, common dietary trends emerged that strongly correlated with the disease.

“Diet plays a huge role in this condition,” said Dr. Josh Stern, a Morris Animal Foundation-funded researcher, owner of a Golden Retriever Lifetime Study participant (Lira, Hero #203), and veterinary cardiologist studying this disease. “Home-cooked diets have been implicated in this problem, as well as small batch, boutique dog foods.”

Other studies have linked high fiber, lamb and rice meal, and very-low-protein diets to the condition.

Dr. Stern said veterinary cardiologists were trained to measure taurine levels in dogs diagnosed with DCM if they weren’t a breed known to have a genetic link to the disease, such as Doberman pinschers or boxers. However, a recent upswing in the number of DCM cases in dogs has put veterinarians on the alert for the disease. In addition, one breed appears to have a big surge in this problem – golden retrievers.

Taurine deficiency and DCM in golden retrievers – an emerging problem?

A recent surge in the number of golden retrievers diagnosed with taurine deficiency and DCM has many golden retriever owners and breeders concerned. Although taurine deficiency DCM has been reported in the breed, some cardiologists are seeing more golden retrievers with the disease than normal.

This perceived uptick in cases spurred Dr. Stern to look more closely at this phenomenon. As a veterinary cardiologist and golden retriever owner, this disease hits close to home.
Dr. Stern has been collecting blood samples and cardiac ultrasound data from golden retrievers both with and without the disease. Although diet plays a role in the golden retrievers, Dr. Stern suspects genetic factors might be involved in increasing the risk of this conditions within the golden retrievers breed.

“I suspect that golden retrievers might have something in their genetic make-up that makes them less efficient at making taurine,” said Dr. Stern. “Couple that with certain diets, and you’ve given them a double hit. If you feed them a diet that has fewer building blocks for taurine or a food component that inhibits this synthesis, they pop up with DCM.”

Please notice that nowhere in this accurate article (straight from the site of the organization that is conducting and funding the Golden Retriever Lifetime study) do they mention peas, legumes, or any brand names. 
Once again, leave it to people on FB to spread misinformation based on their own misunderstandings. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

What's also interesting here is the mention of lamb and rice diets as being one possible cause.

Um....rice is a grain. 

LOLOLOL

So much for "grain free diets" being the problem. 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

HAHAHAHAHA

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Also, notice that very low protein diets were also linked to the condition.

Grain free diets typically have higher protein content, because there is less plant material in the formula. The lowest protein diets are those with the least animal protein content and the most filler, which is typically corn or some other grain. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thank you so much for posting this so that we could get the real article and Keren's knowledgeable interpretation.  Now that I know about it, I can speak with some correctness to dispel others' fears.

[Marie + Marshall]

I just read this on FB- Doodle Family tonight. First time I’ve seen it. Marshall has eaten Acana Lamb and Apple for almost 3 years now. It took 1 1/2 years to find the perfect food for him. First thing that struck me, was this Dr Stern feeds his Golden’s and recommends....Royal Canin?! 

 I hopped right on this site to search for this discussion and luckily I found it and I still feel comfortable with our food choice, even though there has been some recent questions on Acana.

Thanks all!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm glad you found this discussion, Marie. 

As I've said many times before, it's almost always a mistake to read or believe any info or advice about diet or health you see in the FB doodle groups, lol.