Page 39 - AreaNewsletters "Dec'19" issue
P. 39
P E T
L OV E R S
With the Grain-Free Scare
What Should I Feed My Dog?
Afew papers written by veterinarians have come out linking canine cardiomyopathy with grain free diets. The premise is that either these diets lack taurine, an amino acid necessary for heart muscle health, or that lentils, peas, garbanzo beans may have a heart toxic compound.
Many more veterinarians are exploring this theory and as of yet it is just that, a theory. There have been no studies that nd a de nitive link
to grain free diets.
But, if you are still worried and want to err on the side of caution, I have some suggestions.
First, I believe it is important to feed fresh nutritious ingredients with minimal processing, and with no chemicals, additives or preservatives. Many of these diets are grain free. If you want to continue to feed this kind of diet you can simply add taurine to the diet. Taurine can be purchased at
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many boutique pet stores or on the internet. Taurine is present in mostly sh and red meats. It can be destroyed with excessive cooking and boiling. You can add a little hamburger or bison to each meal. If feeding it raw makes you nervous then sear it a little. Small dogs can get 1 Tbs, medium dogs can get 1/8 cup and large dogs can get 1⁄4 cup. Always work up to this gradually stopping if there is vomiting or diarrhea.
If you want to steer completely away from the lentil scare, there are still lentil free diets that are healthy that come in the form of kibble. Ask your local pet store for their options. There are also frozen or freeze dried diets that are lentil free. If you are really ambitious you can make home made food for your dog.
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Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters • December 2019