VIP Advice
VIP Advice
The Dangers Of Marketing
4 Minute Read
By Dr. Karie Johnson | Nutrition | June 2019
The Dangers Of Marketing
4 Minute Read
By Dr. Karie Johnson | Nutrition | June 2019
By Dr. Karie Johnson | June 2019
THE DANGERS IN PET FOOD
The FDA is currently looking into boutique brands, exotic meat pet food, and grain free pet food (BEG diets). Why? Because there has been an alarming increase in dogs developing DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) and it seems that there is a correlation to these specialty diets.
You know, the diets that are marketed as your dog is a wolf or the pet store lady told me it’s more natural. Everyone has the best intentions… well maybe not otherwise they would stop selling them.
These smaller companies saw an opportunity, an opportunity to make money. It is certainly a movement in marketing that in my opinion has spun completely out of control.
WHAT IS DCM?
Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a disease affecting the heart. It causes the muscles of the heart to become weak and flabby, meaning the heart can no longer efficiently pump blood to the rest of the body. The heart muscles get thin and don’t contract well leading to increased blood volume in the heart, which slowly enlarges the heart. This disease can go undetected on radiographs until it has progressed and can only be truly diagnosed via echocardiogram. Some breeds of dogs such as Doberman Pinchers have a genetic predisposition to DCM.
However, a surge of new DCM dogs have hit veterinary cardiologists right where it hurts.
A one year old dog fed a grain free diet his whole life was recently diagnosed with DCM. He’s not an at risk breed. The veterinary team has not been able to find any other reason for his DCM, although we tried and we tried hard.
Imagine for a second being me, the veterinarian, having to tell this owner that even though she was trying to feed her dog the very best; she was doing everything she could with his best interest in mind; it hurt him. I have to tell this owner that the diet that she picked out especially for him is the only reason I currently have for him having DCM to such a severe state that he may only have 6 more months to live. His bloodwork is normal and all other testing is normal. He is an otherwise healthy young dog.
Now imagine being this owner. I can’t even imagine what she is going through, what she is thinking. She is going to lose her best friend before he turns 2 because she fell for the hype. She fell for the marketing.
WHY ISN’T ANYTHING BEING DONE?
The FDA is investigating the BEG diets as they are called, but it may take years to gather up the data they need to create new laws, standards or recommendations for pet food. Veterinarians are doing their best to warn owners, but the marketing is everywhere.
A study in PLOS was just published on December 13th 2018 “Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers fed commercial diets” that names multiple pet food companies for having deficiencies that although met AAFCO Dog food nutrient profiles, never went under feeding trials for nutritional adequacy and did not meet WSAVA recommendations.
These companies included: ACANA, Taste of the Wild, 4Health, Zignature, Instinct, Nutrisource, Kirkland, Fromm, and Orijen.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Ask your veterinarian what foods they recommend and stop listening to celebrities and marketing tactics.
If your feeding one of these BEG diets now, switch to a diet with AAFCO feeding tests and talk to your veterinarian about testing for DCM.
Learn how to read pet food labels: LOOK FOR THIS ON THE BAG!
“Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that _____ provides complete and balanced nutrition for _____.
Looking for more? Check out my blog article, “Why You Should Check Your Pets Food Label” to pick the best food for your pet!
Author: Dr. Karie Johnson, Co-Founder of VIP Vet Visit
Dr Karie is a companion animal & equine veterinarian in the Chicagoland area. Her desire to strengthen the human-animal bond while providing enhanced preventative care led her to start VIP Vet Visit – an at-home veterinary care option that provides less stress, more convenience and better care.
THE DANGERS IN PET FOOD
The FDA is currently looking into boutique brands, exotic meat pet food, and grain free pet food (BEG diets). Why? Because there has been an alarming increase in dogs developing DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) and it seems that there is a correlation to these specialty diets.
You know, the diets that are marketed as your dog is a wolf or the pet store lady told me it’s more natural. Everyone has the best intentions… well maybe not otherwise they would stop selling them.
These smaller companies saw an opportunity, an opportunity to make money. It is certainly a movement in marketing that in my opinion has spun completely out of control.
WHAT IS DCM?
Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a disease affecting the heart. It causes the muscles of the heart to become weak and flabby, meaning the heart can no longer efficiently pump blood to the rest of the body. The heart muscles get thin and don’t contract well leading to increased blood volume in the heart, which slowly enlarges the heart. This disease can go undetected on radiographs until it has progressed and can only be truly diagnosed via echocardiogram. Some breeds of dogs such as Doberman Pinchers have a genetic predisposition to DCM.
However, a surge of new DCM dogs have hit veterinary cardiologists right where it hurts.
A one year old dog fed a grain free diet his whole life was recently diagnosed with DCM. He’s not an at risk breed. The veterinary team has not been able to find any other reason for his DCM, although we tried and we tried hard.
Imagine for a second being me, the veterinarian, having to tell this owner that even though she was trying to feed her dog the very best; she was doing everything she could with his best interest in mind; it hurt him. I have to tell this owner that the diet that she picked out especially for him is the only reason I currently have for him having DCM to such a severe state that he may only have 6 more months to live. His bloodwork is normal and all other testing is normal. He is an otherwise healthy young dog.
Now imagine being this owner. I can’t even imagine what she is going through, what she is thinking. She is going to lose her best friend before he turns 2 because she fell for the hype. She fell for the marketing.
WHY ISN’T ANYTHING BEING DONE?
The FDA is investigating the BEG diets as they are called, but it may take years to gather up the data they need to create new laws, standards or recommendations for pet food. Veterinarians are doing their best to warn owners, but the marketing is everywhere.
A study in PLOS was just published on December 13th 2018 “Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers fed commercial diets” that names multiple pet food companies for having deficiencies that although met AAFCO Dog food nutrient profiles, never went under feeding trials for nutritional adequacy and did not meet WSAVA recommendations.
These companies included: ACANA, Taste of the Wild, 4Health, Zignature, Instinct, Nutrisource, Kirkland, Fromm, and Orijen.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Ask your veterinarian what foods they recommend and stop listening to celebrities and marketing tactics.
If your feeding one of these BEG diets now, switch to a diet with AAFCO feeding tests and talk to your veterinarian about testing for DCM.
Learn how to read pet food labels: LOOK FOR THIS ON THE BAG!
“Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that _____ provides complete and balanced nutrition for _____.
Looking for more? Check out my blog article, “Why You Should Check Your Pets Food Label” to pick the best food for your pet!
Author: Dr. Karie Johnson, Co-Founder of VIP Vet Visit
Dr Karie is a companion animal & equine veterinarian in the Chicagoland area. Her desire to strengthen the human-animal bond while providing enhanced preventative care led her to start VIP Vet Visit – an at-home veterinary care option that provides less stress, more convenience and better care.
