Eight years ago, overnight, the public was led to believe grain free diets were killing their pets. Four years later, the FDA finally stated that it did not have sufficient data to establish a causal relationship between grain-free diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Yet, much of the public believes the foods small pet supply shops carry may or will cause heart disease in their pets. In the end the scare was based on a 0.012% reported incidence rate, explained in a breakdown at the conclusion of this article.
This public scare hurt small business, authentic and healthy pet food companies and in the end caused unneeded stress for pet owners.
The FDA stopped issuing regular public updates on the matter because the data did not support a simple, direct link between grain-free ingredients and DCM. Veterinary research has clarified that diet-associated DCM is a highly complex, multi-factorial issue—not a simple "grains vs. no grains" problem.
The current scientific consensus from the FDA and veterinary nutritionists focuses on several key realities:
Recent Reassuring Studies: Large-scale, rigorous research—including a landmark 2025 controlled feeding study and a massive 2026 data analysis tracking over 47,000 dogs—found no statistically significant link between grain-free diets and the development of cardiac issues or DCM in healthy dogs.
Formulation Matters Most: The issue comes down to the overall nutritional balance, processing, and sourcing of a specific recipe, rather than an entire category of food.
It may be about pulses, not the lack of grains: The primary dietary variable under investigation is the high concentration of pulses and legumes (like heavy amounts of peas, lentils, chickpeas, and dry beans) used as primary protein substitutes, rather than the absence of corn or wheat. The "Formulation" Hypothesis: Some veterinary researchers suspect that if pulses play a role, it isn't because they are inherently poisonous. Instead, it may be an issue of recipe proportion and processing. For example, when a diet substitutes a massive percentage of meat with pulse starches, it might inadvertently alter how a dog absorbs essential nutrients like taurine or methionine during digestion. Legumes and pulses have been safely used in pet food for decades. They provide excellent fiber, vitamins, and plant-based proteins. The FDA explicitly states that these ingredients are not inherently dangerous.
Because the data has failed to prove a direct link, the overarching consensus is that a commercially available dog food meeting AAFCO standards—regardless of whether it utilizes grains or high-quality pulses—is considered safe for the vast majority of healthy dogs.
The Core Numbers
Total Reported Cases: Across the entire multi-year investigation, the FDA officially received reports of 1,382 dogs with DCM.
U.S. Dog Population: The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimated the U.S. dog population at roughly 77 million dogs during the peak of the investigation.
Grain-Free Market Share: During the investigation's peak (2018–2022), grain-free options accounted for roughly 20% to 44% of the multi-billion dollar premium pet food market, depending on the retail sector (boutique pet stores vs. mass retail).
Calculating the Percentage
Because exact "bag count" sales data is proprietary to manufacturers, scientists and economists calculate the mathematical risk based on the total number of dogs feeding on these diets:
If we conservatively estimate that only 15% of the 77 million U.S. dogs were eating grain-free food at the time, that equals roughly 11.5 million dogs eating these diets daily.
Comparing the 1,382 reported cases against a population of 11.5 million dogs yields a reported illness rate of roughly 0.012%.
The Statistical Caveat
While a 0.012% reported incidence rate shows that the overwhelming majority of dogs ate grain-free food without developing heart issues, veterinary experts emphasize two things:
Underreporting: The true number of cases was likely higher because not every dog with DCM gets an echocardiogram or gets reported to the FDA.
The Formulation Culprit: A peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Animal Science noted that when grain-free pet food sales spiked dramatically, there was no matching, proportional spike in overall veterinary DCM diagnoses. This lack of statistical correlation is a major reason why the FDA shifted its focus away from "grain-free" as a blanket category and toward how specific high-pulse ingredients (like heavy concentrations of peas and lentils) affect individual dogs. [1]
Dogs do not “need” to be on a grain-free diet. Healthy grains are good for dogs. We carry a number of foods with grain and recommend them every day. We always recommend feeding foods that are not top heavy in corn (a filler) and reading your labels carefully. Corn can be listed under a variety of names, combining them often makes it the first ingredient in the food. We also recommend avoiding dyes, BHA/BHT, corn syrup, Propylene Glycol (semi moist foods) and animal digest if the animal is not named.
On the other hand, if you have a dog with allergy symptoms, overweight pets or yeasty paws; sometimes a grain-free diet may be helpful. If you have questions, please reach out to us and we will be happy to discuss. We only want what is truly healthy for your beloved pets.