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In a scary trend, certain dog foods have been deemed harmful for pets. While some of the brands on the market have already been recalled, that might have come too late for many dogs. If you are a loving pet owner, you might want to know if your dog could be at risk.
What Can Make Dog Foods Dangerous?
Dog foods on the market all have the goal of providing the proper nutrition to your pet. Sadly, not all of them are successful, which means that some dogs may become sick or even die if their food doesn’t have the proper nutrition in the recommended feeding amounts.
For example, vitamin D is necessary for dogs, but it has to be in a specific amount. Too much vitamin D can have an adverse effect and be downright toxic to dogs. In some cases, dog food may have the wrong nutrients or the wrong amounts of necessary nutrients. In other instances, there may be too many food additives in the food that can prove toxic and put pets at risk for disease or even death.
In addition to excess vitamin D, “grain-free” pet food may be dangerous. Certain ingredients that are added to grain-free food, like peas, potatoes, lentils, and legumes, can pose severe risks to dogs’ health and lead to heart disease.
Specifically, grain-free dog foods may up the risk of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Most of the dogs that have been affected by such foods are large breeds. But some smaller dogs and even cats have also been affected.
Why is Vitamin D So Dangerous?
Some vitamins, such as vitamin B and C are soluble, which means that they can be dissolved in water and immediately absorbed. If those vitamins are in excess in the body, they can be eliminated in urine.
However, vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means that it can’t be eliminated through urine if there is an excess of it. Instead, it becomes stored in the liver and fatty tissue.
When vitamin D is in excess, it may result in toxic levels. This has happened to some dogs that ate various types of Prescription Diet and Science Diet canned dog foods, which were found to contain too much vitamin D.
Grain-Free Dog Food and Heart Risks
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has investigated grain-free dog food leading to DCM in dogs. DCM is a type of heart failure that is linked to too many lentils, peas, potatoes or sweet potatoes in pet food. Although there are very few food-related DCM cases in dogs, it is believed that many other cases weren’t reported due to the heart failure not being diagnosed.
According to 88% of reports, the faulty dog food was dry food. However, it’s believed that a smaller amount of dog food was semi-moist, wet, or raw. Numerous brands that either sickened or killed dogs were named as culprits.
In 93% of these foods, the main ingredients were peas and lentils. Another 42% of the dangerous dog foods contained potato or sweet potato. Many foods had two or three of these foods included as their carbohydrate source and either chicken, lamb, or fish as the protein source.
Speak to an Attorney
If your dog got sick or, even worse, died after eating grain-free dog food or dog food with too much vitamin D content, you need to consult with an attorney immediately. An experienced lawyer can advise you on establishing liability in a faulty product case and may be able to help you join a class-action lawsuit with other dog lovers whose pets have fallen victim to toxic commercial dog food.
About the Author:
With a law degree under his belt, Mark Scott understood very early that law communication was a relatively neglected area. He decided to help people by “translating” the language and offering information and advice in a clear, useful, and actionable manner. For this reason, instead of finding him in court, you will most likely find his name online, where he is very active and thriving as a legal columnist. His part of making the world a better place is to make the law a less convoluted maze. He also works as a contributor to www.ghailawfirm.com . He aims to make it easier for people to understand when and how to seek legal counsel, how to proceed in a significant number of legal matters, and to find the proper resources so they can stand up for their rights.
