Pet Food Institute Resources on DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) and Dog Diets
On July 12, 2018, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a brief stating they are investigating recent case reports of a type of canine heart disease known as dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, in dogs not genetically predisposed to the disease. The brief cited a theory that some dogs with DCM may have been fed certain types of diets, and that further research was being undertaken to determine if that theory had merit. That research is expected to take several years and has not been completed. The agency issued an update on its investigation on February 19, 2019 and June 27, 2019.
At this time, FDA has not communicated that these cases can be explained simply by whether or not the pets' diets do not contain grains, and the agency has not recommended any dietary changes for healthy pets. The most recent FDA update states that the prevalence of reports in dogs eating a grain-free diet also might correlate to the significant growth of grain-free food over the last several years, and research indicates that up to 44% of U.S. pet food formulations are grain-free.
See the following resources from PFI for more information: