To be Grain-Free, or to be Grain-Inclusive

This is not related to why Jazz died, but it could have been. Jazz was diagnosed with a mild heart murmur when she was just a pup. it never got in the way of her life because it was so minor. That was over nine years ago. When she slowed down and started putting on weight we researched the best dog foods on the market and thought we found a brand suitable for all three of our girls. Jazz got her weight control, and CJ and Moja got one for active girls. Today we learned that the diet we thought was best for Jazz was actually the opposite. The reason her heart was enlarged was because she was eating a grain-free, legume-rich dog food, which we thought was better for her than a diet containing by-products. it turns out that those by-products contain organ meat like heart and kidney, which are good sources of taurine, an amino acid important for heart health. The good news is that if caught in time, its completely reversible. There is a link in this article to recommendations on selecting food for your pets. If you decide to keep your dog on a grain free diet, consider adding a taurine supplement for heart health. If you’re unsure of what to feed your dog, Dog Food Advisor is good at keeping their reviews updated and sharing timely recall information.