There may be a link between the food your pooch is eating and potentially-fatal heart disease.
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday they’re investigating whether certain dog foods cause dilated cardiomyopathy, which can lead to congestive heart failure.
There have been 560 reports of dogs diagnosed with the condition, many of which were “breeds of dogs not previously known to have a genetic predisposition to the disease,” according to the agency. At least 119 of the pets have died from the disease.
Around 91 percent of these dogs consumed pet foods labeled as “grain-free” — while 93 percent ate food with peas or lentils, the department said.
“We understand the concern that pet owners have about these reports: the illnesses can be severe, even fatal, and many cases report eating “grain-free” labeled pet food,” the department said. “The FDA is using a range of science-based investigative tools as it strives to learn more about this emergence of DCM and its potential link to certain diets or ingredients.”