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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Thank you Tina. I’ll set this aside for the next newsletter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Alley<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>Respectfully,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>Allison Depner<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>NFBCA, SD President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>(619) 952-2352<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>Adepner1425@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>You Can Live the Life You Want!!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>Blindness Is Not What Holds You Back!!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Res</span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> cagdu-bounces@nfbcal.org [mailto:cagdu-bounces@nfbcal.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>tina.thomas90044@gmail.com<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, June 28, 2019 4:36 PM<br><b>To:</b> cagdu@nfbcal.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [Cagdu] Dog diets and heart disease<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a name="_GoBack"></a>Talk to your own vets.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Your dog may be at risk for developing heart disease based on their food, FDA says<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/06/28/dog-heart-disease-fda-finds-potential-link-16-brands-dog-food/1592388001/">https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/06/28/dog-heart-disease-fda-finds-potential-link-16-brands-dog-food/1592388001/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Kelly Tyko,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>USA TODAYPublished 12:47 a.m. ET June 28, 2019 | Updated 3:33 p.m. ET June 28, 2019<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>What’s in your dogs’ diets could be a factor in whether they develop heart disease, according to a new FDA report.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Food and Drug Administration<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>announced Thursday that it is continuing to investigate a potential connection between certain diets and cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, known as DCM or<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>canine heart disease, which can result in congestive heart failure. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The agency first announced the investigation in July 2018. Thursday’s announcement named 16 pet food brands most frequently identified in 524 reported<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>cases, which included 515 dogs and nine cats. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“We know it can be devastating to suddenly learn that your previously healthy pet has a potentially life-threatening disease like DCM,” Steven M. Solomon,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>a statement.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“That’s why the FDA is committed to continuing our collaborative scientific investigation into the possible link between DCM and certain pet foods.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The report says 119 dogs and five cats died from the disease.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The report says large and giant breed dogs are most typically affected, with cases being most prevalent in golden retrievers, mixed breeds and Labrador<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>retrievers. However, there have been cases of smaller breeds, too, suggesting “a lack of a genetic connection,” the report notes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cats are more likely to develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which also is heart disease, the report notes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In most of the cases, the dogs ate dry food formulations. The investigation also looked into the ingredients or characteristics of the dogs’ diets. More<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>than 90% of diets were “grain-free” and 93% had peas and/or lentils.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Most dogs in the U.S. have been eating pet food without apparently developing DCM,” the FDA report states, adding the American Veterinary Medical Association<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>estimates there are 77 million dogs in the country. “It’s not known how commonly dogs develop DCM, but the increase in reports to FDA signal a potential<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>increase in cases of DCM in dogs not genetically predisposed.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The report notes that the FDA doesn’t yet know how certain diets may be associated with the disease.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“However, the FDA is first and foremost a public health agency, and takes seriously its responsibility to protect human and animal health,” the agency<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>said in the statement. “In the case of DCM, the agency has an obligation to be transparent with the pet-owning public regarding the frequency with which<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>certain brands have been reported.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Here are the 16 brands identified in the report for having the most cases and how many cases they had were reported to the FDA:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>list of 16 items<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Acana: 67 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Zignature: 64 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Taste of the Wild: 53 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• 4Health: 32 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Earthborn Holistic: 32 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Blue Buffalo: 31 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Nature’s Domain: 29 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Fromm: 24 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Merrick: 16 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• California Natural: 15 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Natural Balance: 15 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Orijen: 12 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Nature’s Variety: 11 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• NutriSource: 10 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Nutro: 10 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Rachael Ray Nutrish: 10 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>list end<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Other brands of pet food were identified in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>a 78-page FDA document,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>which also notes details of each case with the animal's breed, age and weight along with a description of the reported illness.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Champion Petfoods, which owns Acana and Orijen, said in a statement to USA TODAY Friday that “our hearts go out to every pet and pet lover who have been<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>impacted by DCM. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“We take this very seriously and will continue to work internally and with other industry leaders on research into the cause of DCM in order to help pet<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>lovers understand the facts," the statement said. "Our own research, and the millions of pets who have thrived by eating our food over 25 years, have shown<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>that Champion pet foods are safe.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>What’s next<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The FDA is encouraging veterinarians to report cases by using its electronic <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Safety Reporting Portal<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or by calling state <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pet owners are advised to contact their veterinarian as soon as possible if “a dog is showing possible signs of DCM or other heart conditions, including<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>decreased energy, cough, difficulty breathing and episodes of collapse,” the report said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The FDA also said it in the report that it looks to industry organizations and pet food manufacturers to contribute to the investigation "while continuing their<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>own investigations to help shed light on potential issues with formulas or ingredients."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Learn more at <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.fda.gov">www.fda.gov</a>.<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>