Category Archives: Nutrition

Evidence Update: Grain-free and other “BEG” Diets Associated with Heart Disease in Dogs

I have been following with great interest the emerging evidence about grain-free and exotic protein diets as a possible risk factor for heart disease in dogs. I first raised the subject in response to several cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) I … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 47 Comments

FDA Webinar Discussing Dietary Risk Factors for Dilated Cardiomyopathy

The FDA has recently held a webinar with a representative of the agency, a nutritionist, and a representative of the pet food industry to provide an update on the state of the ongoing investigation of certain diets and possible heart … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 24 Comments

Grain-free Diets and Heart Disease in Dogs

For some years now, grains such as wheat and corn in dog and cat foods have been demonized by many in the alternative medicine world. There has never been any real scientific evidence to support all the hysterical claims about … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 74 Comments

Dietary Carbohydrates are NOT “Toxic” to Cats

Folks who are critical of commercial pet foods or advocates for raw diets and other alternatives often rail against the evils of carbohydrates. The idea that dietary carbs cause disease is a central thesis of the recent “Truth About Pet … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 31 Comments

Actually, Raw Chicken Likely Can Lead to Paralysis in Dogs.

I recently reported on a study out of Australia that found an association between feeding raw chicken, infection with the bacterium Campylobacter, and a serious neurologic disease call Acute Polyradiculoneuritis (APN). Not surprisingly, advocates of raw diets are desperate to … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 33 Comments

Yet Another Study Shows the Real Dangers of Raw Diets for Dogs

I have covered the raw diet issues since the very start of this blog, which is about nine years now. My articles on the subject are collected here. Very little has changed in my assessment of the evidence over this … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 75 Comments

Evidence Update: Does Dry Food Increase the Risk of Diabetes in Cats?

A perennial question in veterinary nutrition is the relative pros and cons of dry commercial diets. In particular, pet owners and vets alike have a lot of questions about the nutritional value and potential risks of dry food for cats. … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 6 Comments

Science-based Veterinary Nutrition Success Stories

In all the debates here and elsewhere about the relative merits of commercial pet diets and homemade, raw, or other alternatives, advocates of alternative diets often claim that conventional diets are unhealthy. Scientific evidence is not typically provided to support … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 36 Comments

More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets

One of the subjects that holistic vets and other advocates of alternative practices get really passionate about is the evils of commercial and conventional diets. They promote a laundry list of myths about pet food, many of which I’ve addressed … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 180 Comments

Dogs are Still not Wolves: Human Feeding Practices Have Shaped the Dog Genome

I have written many times about the argument, often made to support raw meat feeding or other alternative dietary practices, that dogs are basically carnivores and that because they were derived from wolf ancestors their optimal diet should be as … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 9 Comments