Grain Free Dog Food Heart Disease: FDA Findings & What to Do (2025)

This site is supported by our readers. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through links.

In July 2018, the FDA began investigating something unexpected: previously healthy Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers were developing dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition that generally didn’t affect these breeds. The common thread? Most were eating grain-free dog food containing peas, lentils, or potatoes.

Over the next four years, the agency received 1,382 reports linking grain-free dog food to heart disease, prompting dog owners nationwide to question whether their pet’s trendy diet might be doing more harm than good.

While the FDA’s investigation concluded in 2022 without definitive proof of causation, the findings raised important questions about ingredient quality, nutritional completeness, and breed-specific sensitivities. Understanding what the research revealed, which dogs might be at risk, and how to evaluate your own pet’s diet can help you make informed decisions about their long-term health.

Why is Grain-Free Dog Food Under Investigation?

The FDA’s investigation into grain-free dog food began in 2018, when veterinarians started reporting an unusual pattern they couldn’t ignore.

Dogs that shouldn’t have been at risk for heart disease were developing dilated cardiomyopathy, and many of them shared a common thread in their diets.

Here’s what triggered the investigation and why it continues to concern veterinary cardiologists today.

FDA Investigation Timeline and Triggers

The FDA investigation into dog food began quietly in 2014 with initial DCM reports, but the public alert impact came in July 2018 when officials highlighted grain-free diets. That announcement triggered a reporting surge through the Safety Reporting Portal.

Data release details showed 1,382 cases by November 2022, though reporting bias likely inflated numbers. The investigation conclusion in December 2022 found insufficient evidence linking specific foods to DCM. The FDA investigated the potential link to DCM in certain dog foods.

Reports of Heart Disease in Non-Predisposed Breeds

What caught investigators’ attention wasn’t just the number of cases—it was who was getting sick. Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, breeds not usually prone to DCM, suddenly appeared in over 1,100 FDA reports. These atypical DCM cases represented a troubling shift in breed susceptibility factors. The FDA continues to investigate the role of diet as a factor in these cases.

• Approximately 90% of reported dogs ate grainfree dog food containing peas, lentils, or potatoes
• Mixed breeds and medium-sized dogs showed emerging DCM trends previously unseen
• Labrador Retrievers became the third most reported breed despite no hereditary predisposition
• Diet ingredient analysis revealed grain-free correlation across non-traditional DCM breeds

Popularity and Rise of Grain-Free Diets

The timing wasn’t coincidental. Grain-free dog food sales surged over 200% in North America between 2012 and the FDA’s 2018 investigation, driven by marketing strategies that positioned these products as healthier alternatives.

Dog owners, influenced by human diet trends and consumer perceptions about ancestral feeding, spent billions on grain-free diets—often unaware of potential risks to their pets’ health and wellbeing.

What is Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)?

To understand the connection between grain-free diets and heart disease, you need to know what DCM actually is. This condition affects your dog’s heart muscle in ways that can become life-threatening if left unchecked.

Let’s break down what DCM means for your dog, which breeds face the highest risk, and how diet-related cases differ from the inherited form.

Definition and Symptoms of DCM

Your dog’s heart depends on strong, coordinated muscle contractions—but dilated cardiomyopathy flips that script. A DCM diagnosis requires documented ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction, where the heart’s pumping power drops below 25% efficiency.

Clinical signs include rapid breathing beyond 30 breaths per minute, persistent coughing, lethargy, and sometimes collapse. Echocardiography confirms chamber enlargement with thinned walls, revealing heart disease that demands immediate attention.

Breeds Most and Least at Risk

Large and giant purebreds—Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Boxers, and Newfoundlands—carry genetic factors that drive up to 60% of traditional dilated cardiomyopathy cases.

Yet the FDA’s grain-free dog food investigation revealed atypical cases in Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and even small breeds like Shih Tzus.

Breed predisposition still matters, but diet interaction can trigger DCM in dogs you’d never expect.

Hereditary Vs. Diet-Associated DCM

Unlike hereditary DCM, which targets breeds with genetic predisposition like Dobermans and progresses irreversibly, diet-associated DCM strikes any breed and often reverses when caught early. Breed differences matter less with dietary factors—Golden Retrievers on grain-free diets can develop dilated cardiomyopathy despite normal taurine levels.

Diagnostic markers and prognosis outcomes separate these two forms, with diet-change survival reaching 337 days versus hereditary cases’ 17.5% one-year rate.

How Might Grain-Free Diets Affect Heart Health?

The connection between grain-free diets and heart disease isn’t fully understood yet, but researchers have identified some patterns worth examining.

Most of the reported cases involve foods with specific ingredient profiles that differ from traditional dog food formulas. Let’s look at what makes these diets unique and why certain ingredients have raised concerns.

Common Ingredients in Grain-Free Foods

When you flip over a bag of grain-free dog food, you’ll notice a pattern. Peas rank as the most common plant-based carbohydrate, appearing in 93% of DCM-associated formulas. Lentils follow closely, listed within the first ten ingredients in over 90% of implicated products.

Chicken leads protein sources at 60%, while potatoes and sweet potatoes serve as starch alternatives in 42% of cases. Tapioca and cassava appear less frequently but still feature prominently in certain recipes.

Pulses, Potatoes, and Potential Risks

What’s happening inside your dog’s digestive system when they eat pulse-heavy dog food? Studies show these diets reduce nutrient absorption and increase fecal bile acid loss, forcing your dog’s body to use more taurine for bile acid synthesis.

Metabolomic findings reveal unique compounds in pulse and potato formulas, yet evidence gaps remain—the FDA hasn’t confirmed direct causation between pulses, potatoes, and DCM.

The Role of Taurine and Deficiency

Think of taurine as your dog’s cardiac fuel—it makes up over half the amino acids in their heart muscle and powers every heartbeat. When blood taurine levels drop below 250 nmol/mL, cardiac function weakens.

Taurine fuels your dog’s heart with every beat, and when levels drop below 250 nmol/mL, cardiac function weakens

Breed susceptibility varies: golden retrievers and cocker spaniels face higher risk.

Dietary factors matter most—low-protein diets lacking sulfur-containing amino acids trigger deficiency, but supplementation outcomes show real promise for reversing damage.

What Has The FDA Found So Far?

The FDA’s investigation has generated a substantial body of data, though the findings come with important caveats. Since 2014, the agency has collected reports from veterinarians and pet owners that paint a concerning picture of DCM cases linked to certain diet patterns.

Here’s what the numbers, brands, and research limitations reveal so far.

Number and Nature of Reported Cases

Between January 2014 and April 2019, the FDA received 524 DCM case reports—515 dogs, 9 cats—with numbers climbing to 1,382 by November 2022. Most reports flooded in after the FDA’s July 2018 alert, highlighting reporting bias rather than a sudden surge in disease.

Affected dogs ranged from asymptomatic to cases of sudden death:

• Atypical breeds like Shih Tzus and Miniature Schnauzers appeared alongside predisposed breeds
• Multiple household dogs sometimes developed canine heart disease on the same dog food
• Some dogs showed clinical improvement after diet changes
• Others had normal taurine levels and didn’t respond to intervention
• Data limitations prevent estimating true DCM prevalence

These case report volume patterns reflect awareness, not necessarily rising risk.

Dog Food Brands and Ingredients Linked to DCM

The FDA’s reports highlight specific dog food brands and ingredients linked to health concerns. Acana had 67 DCM reports, Zignature had 64, and Taste of the Wild appeared in 53 instances. Legume-heavy ingredients dominated, with 93% of implicated foods containing peas or lentils. Potato-containing formulations appeared less frequently. Protein sources and taurine levels varied, with some brands supplementing heavily. These patterns guide your ingredient-checking efforts.

Brand	DCM Reports	Common Ingredients
Acana	67	Peas, lentils, novel proteins
Zignature	64	Legumes, high taurine supplementation
Taste of the Wild	53	Peas, potatoes, varied proteins
4Health	32	Pea protein, potatoes, beef
Blue Buffalo	31	Peas, lentils, chicken/fish

Limitations and Ongoing Research

While those brand names catch your attention, the FDA’s investigation has collected over 1,382 DCM reports without establishing direct causation vs. correlation.

Study sample sizes remain small—often fewer than 10 dogs—and short-term feeding trials lasting 28 days can’t reveal long-term effects.

Research funding bias, inconsistent taurine supplementation protocols, and breed variability complicate conclusions.

Scientists need more time to untangle these grain-free dog food concerns surrounding canine heart disease.

What Are The Risks for Different Dog Breeds?

Not all dogs face the same level of risk with respect to diet-associated DCM. Some breeds have a genetic predisposition to heart disease, while others have shown up in FDA reports despite no known hereditary link.

Understanding how your dog’s breed, size, and individual sensitivities factor into this equation can help you make more informed decisions about their diet.

Large and Giant Breeds

Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, and other large breeds face the highest DCM prevalence, making dietary factors particularly concerning when they’re eating grain-free dog food.

The FDA reports include numerous cases of dilated cardiomyopathy in Labs, Goldens, and similar breeds consuming diets high in legumes and potatoes. These dogs may have heightened breed risks due to lower taurine production, potentially worsening taurine deficiency when combined with certain ingredients.

Atypical Cases in Small and Medium Breeds

While large breeds grab most headlines, rising DCM incidence in small and medium dogs is drawing attention. Non-hereditary factors linked to grain-free dog food—especially those rich in pulses—have surfaced in breeds like Miniature Schnauzers and Shih Tzus.

Age at diagnosis skews older, but statistical limitations mean you should stay vigilant, regardless of your dog’s size or breed.

Breed-Specific Sensitivities to Diet

Your dog’s genes don’t tell the whole story. Genetic predispositions interact with diet in ways researchers are still untangling, creating breed-specific health risks that vary widely.

• Golden Retrievers showed taurine deficiency in 95% of DCM cases linked to legume-heavy foods
• Dobermans rarely develop DCM from taurine issues, suggesting different diet interactions
• Clinical outcomes improved across multiple breeds after switching from grain-free diets
• Research limitations mean breed susceptibility remains incompletely understood

What Should Dog Owners Do Now?

If your dog is currently eating a grain-free diet, you don’t need to panic, but you shouldn’t ignore the FDA’s findings either.

There are practical steps you can take right now to protect your dog’s heart health while researchers continue to investigate the connection.

Here’s what veterinary cardiologists recommend for concerned dog owners.

Monitoring for Signs of DCM

You’ll want to watch for early signs of DCM, since catching heart disease before it advances gives your dog the best chance. Exercise intolerance and respiratory distress—like coughing or heavy breathing—show up in over 90% of affected dogs. Fluid accumulation, especially a swollen belly, signals trouble too.

During routine checkups, cardiac auscultation can detect abnormal heart rhythms. For dogs on grain-free diets, ask your vet about subclinical monitoring through periodic echocardiograms.

Veterinary Guidance on Dog Food Choices

When choosing your dog’s diet, lean on professionals who follow WSAVA Guidelines and conduct thorough nutritional assessments. Your veterinarian can steer you toward brands that prioritize ingredient transparency and have nutritionists on staff.

If your dog has been eating grain-free, a veterinary cardiologist consultation may include cardiac monitoring during the diet change.

Don’t navigate this alone—veterinary recommendations are your best compass through confusing food labels.

Evaluating Ingredient Lists and Diet Changes

Reading your ingredient list is like checking a map before a long trip—you need to know where you’re headed. Look for peas, lentils, chickpeas, or potatoes in the top ten ingredients, even if they appear multiple times in different forms.

Gradual transitions over seven to ten days prevent stomach upset, but ongoing monitoring with follow-up echocardiograms and taurine testing reveals whether dietary changes actually improve your dog’s heart health.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)