These pet food brands have been linked to heart disease in dogs
Pet food that has been marketed in Australia as healthy for dogs has been linked to several cases of canine heart failure.
Sixteen brands were linked by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration to cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which is a condition that leads to heart failure.
Three brands, Earthborn Holistic, Orijen and Nutro were found in Australia and can be purchased through outlines including My Pet Warehouse and Pet Circle. This is according to 7 News.
The FDA found that the problem brands were commonly labelled as grain-free and contained a high proportion of peas, lentils and other legumes as well as potatoes.
More than 500 cases of DCM have been reported to the FDA since the beginning of 2018, which prompted the organisation to issue a warning to pet owners.
Over 90 per cent of products linked with cases of DCM were grain-free and 93 per cent of products had peas and/or lentils.
Symptoms of DCM include decreased energy, coughing, difficulty breathing and episodes of collapse.
The FDA urged pet owners to take their animal to a vet immediately if they suspect their dog is showing any symptoms.