Photo by David D'Angelo on Unsplash
Dogs: To Eat Grain or Not To? That Is Still A Question
words and visuals by Lexi Zhang
It’s been over a decade since grain-free dog food, which doesn’t contain ingredients like corn, soy, wheat, or rice, hit the market, and the great debate over whether grain-free dog food is better or not has never ended. There has been a particular discrepancy between veterinary professionals and dog owners. While many human parents believe that grain-free dog foods are higher in protein and more similar to the diet of the dog ancestors, vets argue that grains have valuable nutrients and don’t cause digestive problems.
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However, according to the survey results by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, we may be seeing the issue becoming less divisive.
Why did grain-free food turn less popular?
“When my vet suggested I should give my dog grain-containing food, I didn’t think it was a big deal,” said Peter Liu, a golden retriever owner in Seattle, “until I saw a social media post about FDA looking into the potential relationship between grain-free food and non-hereditary heart problem in dogs, especially in golden retrievers.”
Before knowing the DCM issue, Peter had fed his dog (above) grain-free food for over a year.
​In fact, the US Food and Drug Administration began to investigate the potential connection between diet and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in mid-2018. According to the public update by FDA in 2019, the DCM reports were unusual as they included breeds that are not typically more frequently affected by DCM.
FDA also revealed that among those cases, 93% of reported products had peas and/or lentils which are often used as fiber in grain-free products. Overall, 91% of the affected dogs were on grain-free diets.
Peas and lentils are among the major ingredients of a dog food product named in DCM reports. Source: Reports to FDA, Petco
Although FDA referred to their investigation subject as a “potential” link all the time, this information was already enough to break the consumers’ trust in grain-free food. Besides more negative sentiment toward grain-free food, the APOP survey finds that 21% of dog owners reported they had changed dog food brands due to the “grain-free” and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) controversy. Consequently, grain-free food sales were significantly hit. According to NielsenIQ, total grain-free dry dog food sales, which were up 15.2% in June 2018, began to slide since the investigation and ended 2020 down 14.9%.
What’s new in the latest FDA update?
Recently, FDA issued their fourth update on the investigation. Legume seed ingredients, also called “pulses” (e.g., peas, lentils, etc.), are the biggest suspects as some latest research studies spotlighted their potential (yes, still potential) connection to DCM. FDA also clarified that this is not an issue with only grain-free diets as the reports involved both grain-free and grain-containing diets but the grain-free ones usually have a greater proportion of “pulses.” Dr. Lisa Freeman, one of the leading researchers on this topic, pointed out that "in the past, it was primarily grain-free diets that included high levels of pulses and potatoes as ingredients to replace grains, but now some grain-inclusive diets contain pulses and can be associated with DCM as well."
On the other hand, since legumes have been used on pet food for years with no evidence to indicate they are inherently dangerous, FDA will not be able to pinpoint the cause(s) of non-hereditary DCM or take any regulatory actions before more scientific information on this issue comes to light.
Despite not having a definitive answer yet, consumers and pet food manufacturers have been making their choices. For pet owners, “no peas, lentils, or legumes” has become a determining factor of purchasing among others such as "no by-products" and "non-GMO."
Source: APOP Survey
On the supply side, a few pet food companies have adjusted diet formulations since the announcement about DCM cases.
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“I missed a heartbeat when I saw peas in the ingredients of Orijen’s dry dog food that I fed my golden retriever. And when I searched for grain-containing options, I found they just launched a new product that includes grains and no pulses.” Peter believes the company was reacting to FDA’s alert and he immediately switched to the new one. “I know FDA didn’t conclude anything. I just want the best for my dog, so I’m not taking any risks.”
In May 2022, Orijen announced the ​ORIJEN AMAZING GRAINS™ line featuring oats, quinoa, and chia. Although not explicitly mentioned in marketing messages, there are no peas, lentils, or any legumes in the new ingredients. Photo by Champion Petfoods.