Industry Statement on DCM: Zignature
Diet and DCM
The FDA is trying to see if there is a relationship between diet and DCM. Follow our coverage of the topic here.
DCM Info, This Way
Zignature’s Statement on DCM
Zignature is a US based pet food company that we have had in store for years. They have a very clean ingredient panel and do not include chicken in any of their formulas. They were named in the July 2019 update from the FDA but we have heard countless customer success stories while feeding Zignature. Here’s what they said:
On June 27, 2019, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) issued its third status report on its investigation into any potential connection between certain diets and Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), a type of heart disease, in dogs. While DCM impacts less than one percent of U.S. dogs, with .000007% being supposedly related to diet, we recognize that these studies are of critical importance to those families whose beloved dogs have been afflicted by this heart diseases.
As you review the FDA’s most recent report, it’s important to understand the following:
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Most dogs in the U.S. have been eating pet food without apparently developing DCM.
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The FDA continues to believe that the potential association between diet and DCM in dogs is a complex scientific issue that may involve multiple factors and that the actual cause has still yet to be determined.
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The overwhelming majority of impacted dogs belonged to breeds genetically predisposed to DCM, a disease that was first discovered in the 1980’s well before the grain-free diets were available for pets.
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The DCM cases reported to the FDA included dogs who ate both grain and grain-free diets.
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The FDA states that chicken is the number one protein of affected dogs, as you know, Zignature does not use chicken.
Nulo goes further and provides some data showing the AAFCO minimum requirements for an adult maintenance formula and how they exceed in every way.
What is Canine DCM?
How do I know if my dog has DCM?
Is this an issue only for boutique brands of dog food?
No. The pet food advocacy website, the truthaboutpetfood.com, has taken a close look at the data that the FDA has released and found that the FDA received a significant number of DCM reports from the largest pet food producers.