Sporting Gun UK – May 2019

Great subscription deals at http://www.sportinggunsubs.co.uk MAY 2019SPORTING GUN 63

GUNDOGS

Doghealth

“So-called

‘natural’ meals

accountfora

third ofdiets.I

wonder where

itisallgoing?”

buttreatmentoptionsarerelativelylimited.
Investigationsbyvetsandveterinary
cardiologistshavehighlightedthatbreeds
thatwerenotnormallyaffectedbyDCM
developedtheconditionmoreoftenwhen
theywerefedgrain-freediets.Butthey
couldn’tworkoutwhy.(Thefindingswere
publishedintheJournaloftheAmerican
Veterinary Medical Association.)

BEGdiets
Nowthethingabouta grain-freedietis
whenyoutakesomethingout,youhave
toputsomethingbackin.Initially,thisled
cardiologiststobelievethatthehighlevel
ofpeas,lentils,legumeseedsandpotatoes
usedinthesedietswassomehowtheculprit
incausingtheaforementionedconditions.
Nexttherewasconcernthatlowtaurine
levels(asseenincatsfeda vegetarian
diet)mightbea factor.However,further
investigation has revealed that DCM is now

reducedbioavailabilityduetointeractions

ofingredientsortoxicityofa dietary

component remains to be seen.

Whatistheanswer?

DCMrelatedtodiethasnotyetbeen

documentedintheUK.Whenyouconsider,

however,thatgrain-freedietsnowmake

up15%offoodsfedtodogsinBritainand

so-called‘natural’mealsaccountforone

third of diets, I am left wondering where it is

allgoing.Thereisa tendencytobelievethat

exotic,backtonature,returntothewild,

herbalandholisticarealltrendsthatwill

enhancehealthandwell-being.Itseemsvery

likelytomethattimewilltellusthatthese

fadswereill-thought-outandmisguided.

Inshort,theadvicehastobetousea

recognisedcommercialdogfoodwitha track

recordthatisproducedbyanestablished

manufacturer.And,no,nobodyassociated

with any pet food paid me to write this.

Boneofcontention:

aregrain-freediets

a health risk to dogs?

occurringinpreviouslyunaffectedbreeds
whentheyarefedwhathavebeenreferred
toasBEGdiets.Thisstandsfor‘Boutique
companiesExoticingredientsGrainfree’.
TheapparentlinkbetweenBEGdiets
andDCMmaybeduetoreplacement
ingredientsingrain-freedietssuchaslentils
orchickpeasbutalsobecauseofother
exoticmeats,vegetablesandfruitsfound
inBEGdiets.Whenyouhearofdogsbeing
fedkangaroo,alligator,bison,chickpeas,
avocado,sweetpotatoandsmokedtrout,
onehastowonder.Also,notallpetfood
manufacturershavethesamelevelof
nutritionalexpertiseandqualitycontroland
thisvariabilitycouldintroduce potential
issues with some products.

Whatisthecause?
Wejustdon’tknow.Thelikelihoodisthat
somesortofnutritionaldeficiencyor
excessisinvolved.Whetherthisisbecause
ofa lackofa particularsubstancein
these diets or a complex problem of