FDA Issues ‘Inflection Point’ Statement on DCM that Condition is Complex

The FDA issued a statement this week regarding continued work to investigate DCM and a potential connection to diet.

The statement from Dr. Steven Solomon, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, emphasized the statement wasn’t offering an investigative update but rather:

“An inflection point that provides FDA with an opportunity to clarify and emphasize the following points:

• Historically, DCM has been primarily linked to genetic predisposition in certain breeds, but in the context of these atypical cases, emerging science appears to indicate that non-hereditary DCM is a complex medical condition that may be affected by the interplay of multiple factors such as genetics, underlying medical conditions and diet.
• FDA has not taken regulatory action against or declared any specific pet food products unsafe or definitively linked to DCM. As the scientific community looks further into the role that diet may play in these cases, we hope to explore additional avenues about ingredient levels, nutrient bioavailability, ingredient sourcing and diet processing to determine if there are any common factors. We have asked pet food manufacturers to share diet formulation information, which could substantially benefit our understanding of the role of diet.”

Solomon further emphasized, “If there is one point I want to drive home, it’s that the best thing you as a pet owner can do is to talk to your veterinarian about your dog’s dietary needs based on their health and medical history.”

The pet food industry reacted to the new statement, emphasizing the FDA’s description of DCM as a complex condition that is not solely dictated by diet.

Dana Brookes, President and CEO of the Pet Food Institute (PFI), said “PFI urges fact-based messaging around DCM. Since its initial announcements, FDA noted that information in its investigation updates has been inaccurately misinterpreted and misrepresented. Current research suggests that a variety of factors may influence the development of DCM in dogs. Tens of millions of dogs enjoy diets marketed as grain-free in the United States and the number of submitted DCM reports suggest that, if diet is a factor, it may be among several elements involved such as individual dog physiology.”

Champion Petfoods Chief Executive Officer Blaine McPeak, said, “We hope this brings clarity to pet lovers and gives them the confidence and trust to select the best diet for their dogs. ”

“By the standards of evidence-based medicine, the current science does not provide evidence to support that grain-free diets cause DCM in dogs,” said Krista Howden, DVM, MSc DACVPM, Veterinary Epidemiologist and Senior Scientific Advisor at One Health Scientific Solutions, in a statement released by Champion. “Observations made by veterinary clinicians, such as the concerns reported of an association between grain-free diets and DCM, are important to bring forward as they form the foundation for investigating the causality of veterinary diseases and keeping our pets safe. Nevertheless, these observations must be subject to rigorous scientific investigation before conclusions are made.”