A long-term feeding trial has found that grain-free diets may actually improve taurine levels in Labrador Retrievers, challenging concerns about their link to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Rethinking the grain-free controversy: Following FDA warnings linking grain-free diets to dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, this 26-week study sought to measure the impact of such diets on taurine status—a key nutrient associated with heart health. The dogs were fed a commercial grain-free pork-and-squash formula (APS), and results showed a significant increase in both plasma and whole blood taurine concentrations.
Taurine holds steady—despite bile acid loss: While bile acid excretion rose after 26 weeks, this did not lead to reduced taurine availability. This is a critical finding, as bile acid binding is one hypothesised route by which taurine depletion could occur. The study’s outcome suggests that even with higher bile acid loss, taurine levels were maintained and even improved.
Implications for large-breed feeding strategies: These findings support the nutritional adequacy of certain grain-free formulations, particularly for large breeds like Labradors. The results indicate that APS is unlikely to be the cause of taurine-deficiency-related DCM in dogs, urging researchers and veterinarians to explore additional factors in DCM etiology.
https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaa148
