The grain-free theme has been on fire in the pet food world since 2018, but we have always preferred to make a choice of field: putting the well-being of the dog and cat first rather than giving in to the trends dictated by reasoning related to profit at any cost. Our pets look to their owner as guarantor and guardian of their life and it is necessary that those who offer food dedicated to them must always offer the best solution to ensure their growth, development and well-being.
As members Assalco, the national trade association that groups Italian pet food companies, we have received directives from the Fediaf, the European trade association that has established a manual of good production practices, aimed at the welfare of pets in Europe.
The benefits of a varied diet
It is undeniable, however, that just as the human being no longer feeding on meat alone has progressively lengthened his life also thanks to a more complete and varied diet, even on dogs and cats there is an extension of their average life thanks to a richer and more varied diet.
In the grain-free products in order to maintain a correct intake of proteins and carbohydrates, cereals are usually replaced, among other ingredients, with peas and potatoes. These ingredients are not harmful to our four-legged friends but apparently they can be dangerous if ingested in excessive quantities, as happens with the use of grain-free dry food.
Do grain-free products put dogs' hearts at risk?
There has been debate for a long time on whether or not to include cereals in the diets for dogs and cats, citing as the main argument the alleged authenticity of the low-cereal diet practiced by our beloved pets in their natural state. Can grain-free products put dogs' hearts at risk? This is the question that the main food control body in the United States, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) asked itself in 2018. From June 2019 the first answers began to arrive.
The investigation that is still underway was initiated the report of 560 dogs suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy and even 14 cats with an evident element in common: the dry food they ate and in particular, grain-free products.
It is possible that something in BEG foods is inhibiting the way the body uses or absorbs amino acids, said Dr. William Tyrrell, a cardiologist at CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets in Virginia involved in the investigation
The research in this regard has not yet been completed and we are still awaiting a definitive answer on the question, notwithstanding the first published surveys on several occasions by the various control bodies and the press, not least the investigation relating to any predisposizioni genetiche per determinate razze di cane a cardiomiopatie dilatative in case of use of grain free products.
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