Should Your Dog Eat a Grain Free Diet?
Grain in or grain free! If you've heard this debate, you might equate it to that of a controversial conversation on politics or religion! 
So let's take a look at the controversy surrounding the great grain debate and DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) which is a primary disease of the cardiac muscle that results in a decreased ability of the heart to generate pressure to pump blood through the vascular system. 
When DCM first became a hot topic in the news, grain free pet foods and BEG foods were made out to be the villain which big pet food manufacturers were blaming. BEG stands for food sold in Boutiques, Exotic Proteins and Grain Free foods. 
Of these fabricated super villains, grain free pet food was at the top of the list, being blamed for causing DCM. The first question we need to ask is "if grains were never part of the ancestral canine diet, how could removing them from the diet cause a problem?" 
The second thing we want to ask is if anyone really knows what causes DCM?
The answer is no! Experts in the field of pet nutrition suspect, genetics, breed and diet could all play a role! But at this point, no one actually knows the root cause of DCM. 
Fortunately for pet parents and unfortunately for the big pet food manufacturers who perpetuated the myths of grain free and BEG foods, their fear mongering tactics have been disproven time and time again. 
In 2019, the FDA released their research indicating they still did not know what caused DCM and suggested diet π€π°πΆππ₯ be a factor. Their research also named grain inclusive diets as food that was being served to dogs who contracted DCM, proving that grains have little to do with the condition if we're going to blame diet.Β
The more likely deficiency caused by diet, has been proven to be a lack of taurine. Taurine is an amino acid our pets get only through meat. So a protein rich diet will ensure we are addressing any lack of taurine. 
To sum up the great grain debate, as we've said time and time again, grain inclusive or grain free is never the question! High quality, protein rich, low carb diets will always be our best defence in keeping our furry family happy and healthy! 