Grains Prevent DCM? Not According to Science!
If I had a dollar for every time a pet parent walked in our store after being told by their vet that their dog needs grains to prevent DCM, I’d be writing this from a beach somewhere with a peach Bellini in hand. But here I am...because this myth still needs busting and pet parents need all the facts about what's being covered up!
Just recently, I had a customer come in the store in tears. Her vet told her that her dog had DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) a serious heart condition. Obviously the customer was upset, Mazy is only five years old and seems perfectly healthy. So how did the vet come to the conclusion she had DCM?
Not with a heart ultrasound. Not with a blood test.
He watched a video of Mazy reverse sneezing and blamed her raw food diet.
Let that sink in. A reverse sneeze. Caused by an irritation in the nasal passages. Diagnosed as heart disease.
If you’ve never heard or seen a dog reverse sneeze before, it can be downright terrifying the first time. They may snort rapidly, honk like a goose, stretch out their neck and seem like they’re struggling to breathe, but here’s the good news: it’s completely harmless.
A reverse sneeze is caused by a temporary spasm of the soft palate, often triggered by excitement, a tickle in the throat, or mild irritation like dust or perfume. It usually passes within seconds and doesn’t require any treatment.
You may have even seen Zaner do it when he gets a little too excited meeting someone new in the store or waiting for a treat and if you have, you know just how dramatic this harmless little episode can seem!
But don’t let the theatrics fool you, a reverse sneeze isn’t a sign of heart disease and it certainly doesn’t mean your pet needs to start eating grains.
I watched the same video of Mazy the vet did and reassured Mazy's mom it was absolutely a reverse sneeze, nothing more. I also explained that her raw food diet was actually supporting her dog’s heart with taurine...the real nutrient needed for heart health. (Spoiler: grains don’t supply taurine or protect the heart.)
I encouraged Mazy's mom to speak to another vet for a second opinion and guess what? Not only did the clinic agree it was a misdiagnosis, she got $200 refunded from her original $700 bill.
We always encourage advocating for your pet and this is exactly why!
💔 What’s Really Going On with the Grain-Free & DCM Narrative?
Here’s what most pet parents don’t know: from 2018 to 2023, the FDA investigated a potential link between grain-free diets and DCM. But that investigation? It was sparked by cherry-picked cases, many of which were submitted by vets with known ties to Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
Why does that matter?
Because Hill’s...yes, the same guys who make our toothpaste and dish detergent and the same company pushing grain-inclusive diets, conducted a study between December 2019 and August 2021 involving 60 dogs over 18 months to look into the connection between diet and DCM. And what did that study find?
“No changes in cardiac function with grain-free or grain-inclusive foods and taurine status was unaffected by diet.”
But instead of publishing that result (which would’ve squashed the narrative they helped create), they buried it. It didn’t support their agenda. So, they acted like it never happened.
Let that sit for a second.
The study existed. The dogs were tested. The results were real. But because it didn’t say what Hill’s wanted it to say, it was withheld from the public.
And now? Years later, with Hill’s facing yet another massive class action lawsuit, they’ve quietly published the study online in the Journal of Animal Science. Not in any physical journals. Not in anything sent to veterinary clinics. No headlines. No transparency.
Why now? Likely because lawyers already uncovered it and publishing it late looks slightly less suspicious than hiding it completely.
If science is objective, then why hide the findings? What were they “studying” if they only cared about a predetermined result?
💥 What This Means for You
This matters, because pet parents like you are still being told that feeding a grain-free or raw diet is dangerous. That grains somehow prevent heart disease. That your dog will die if you don’t switch to the food your vet sells in their clinic.
But guess what? There is no scientific evidence that grains support heart health. In fact, grains don’t even contain taurine. Meat does. And taurine is what supports your pet’s heart...not corn, not wheat and not rice. Grains do not protect the heart! You've possibly heard me say it in store, "we have Scarecrows, not Scarewolves in our corn fields" because grains are not part of our dog's ancestral diet. Dogs and wolves do not hunt grains! A protein rich diet, full of named, healthy meat will protect and support your dog's heart.
In the 1960s, the cereal companies launched a marketing campaign that touted grain rich cereals as being healthy for our hearts. This was not science, it was marketing! They were trying to sell their cereal. And just like there is no science behind their marketing puffery for us, there is no science that demonstrates grains support a carnivore's heart.
Feeding fresh, biologically appropriate food to support a healthy heart in dogs, now that's where the science is! We know and have known for the last almost decade, that taurine, an amino acid only found in meat is how we keep a dog's heart healthy! We also know, we feed the organ we want to support. So feeding our furry guys heart muscle is always a great option to support their heart.
🧠 Arm Yourself With the Truth
Want to see the study for yourself? Here it is 👇
👉 Click to read it
(Psst...click the word and the little PDF icon to download the full study and save it for later!)
So the next time someone says, “Grain-free causes DCM,” or, “Trust the science,” you’ve got your ammo. Because we do trust the science...when it’s not buried for financial gain by big pet food manufacturers.
And if you’re ever unsure, overwhelmed, or just want a second set of eyes on something your vet said, come see us. We're not vets and we don't know more than vets, but we do know different things than vets and that just might help your furry guy. We’ve got the research. We’ve got the experience. And most importantly, we’ve got your back.