Grain-free pet foods have become a staple in the super premium segment of the dry petfood market and attract a premium price accordingly. The term ‘grain-free’ is used for petfoods that do not contain cereal grains such grains as wheat or corn. Typical grain-free carbohydrate sources are potato or sweet potato plus legumes such as lentils, chick peas and field peas. Grain-free dry petfoods have greater available digestible energy of the carbohydrates than in cereal grains. However, grain-free does not mean carbohydrate free. In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported the occurrence of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in breeds of dogs not typically associated with this disease and often being fed grain-free diets. Many of these dogs responded to taurine supplementation. In June 2019, the FDA released a report summarising the current information about DCM in dogs in the USA. This presentation will discuss the advantages of grain-free diets, the FDA reports on DCM and the metabolic pathways leading to taurine synthesis and propose additional nutrient considerations for grain-free diets for dogs.
Nutrition
Presented by Professor emeritus Nick Costa BAgSc(Hons) PhD
Technical Director Advanced Pet Care of Australia Pty Ltd
Sponsored by Delicate Care
Presented at Singapore Vet 2019
RVC Clincial Theatre 1
Friday, 11 October at 12:10 PM