Representative peer-reviewed studies (verbatim abstracts)
The following studies were retrieved from Europe PMC / PubMed and are reproduced verbatim. Interpretive synthesis is left to the API user.
PMID:41295744 — Role of Diet as a Predisposing Factor for Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs: A Narrative Review.
- Source: Vet Sci 2025
- Vet Sci. 2025 Nov 20;12(11):1106. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12111106.
Role of Diet as a Predisposing Factor for Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs: A Narrative Review.
Mornard L(1), Brasileiro ACM(1)(2), Marcondes-Santos M(2)(3).
Author information: (1)Department of Veterinary Sciences, EUVG-Vasco da Gama University School, Avenida José R. Sousa Fernandes 197, 3020-210 Coimbra, Portugal. (2)CIVG-Vasco da Gama Research Center, Avenida José R. Sousa Fernandes 197, 3020-210 Coimbra, Portugal. (3)School of Agriculture, Santarém Polytechnic University, Quinta do Galinheiro-S. Pedro, 2001-904 Santarém, Portugal.
In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, including breeds without known genetic predisposition, fed diets containing a high proportion of legumes or potatoes, many labeled grain-free. Despite concerns, grain-free diets remain increasingly popular. This narrative review focuses on the peer-reviewed literature and summarizes recent studies evaluating the effects of grain-free diets on canine cardiac health, with emphasis on taurine deficiency, metabolic alterations, and emerging hypotheses extending beyond nutritional inadequacy. These findings suggest a strong link between diet and DCM, particularly regarding legumes. Dogs of various breeds showed larger left ventricular diameters, reduced systolic function, and increased premature ventricular complexes when fed non-traditional, grain-free, legume-rich diets compared to those on traditional, low-legume diets. Many affected dogs improved clinically and functionally with dietary changes and treatment, suggesting nutritional DCM could be reversible. Though mechanisms remain unclear, the research highlights the potential roles of legumes, particularly peas, in the gut microbiota and fiber-related bile acid metabolism. This review also distinguishes taurine-deficiency-related DCM as a separate form, with certain breeds, notably Golden Retrievers, being more susceptible. Overall, further studies are required to better understand the role of nutrition in canine cardiac health.
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci12111106 PMCID: PMC12656978 PMID: 41295744
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Abstract (verbatim excerpt):
JOURNAL:Vet Sci 2025
- Vet Sci. 2025 Nov 20;12(11):1106. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12111106.
Role of Diet as a Predisposing Factor for Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs: A Narrative Review.
Mornard L(1), B
PMID:41472100 — Preliminary Analysis of Intestinal Microbiota in Golden Retrievers Prone to Dilated Cardiomyopathy Due to Taurine Deficiency.
- Source: Vet Sci 2025
- Vet Sci. 2025 Nov 26;12(12):1120. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12121120.
Preliminary Analysis of Intestinal Microbiota in Golden Retrievers Prone to Dilated Cardiomyopathy Due to Taurine Deficiency.
Dametti MR(1), Bagardi M(1)(2), Ghilardi S(1), Minozzi G(1), Polli M(1), Brambilla PG(1), Fusi E(1).
Author information: (1)Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science-DIVAS, University of Milan, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy. (2)Anicura Clinica Veterinaria Malpensa, Via G. Marconi N. 27, 21017 Samarate, VA, Italy.
Taurine plays a key role in cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health in dogs and may be deficient in some predisposed breeds despite consuming complete petfood. This study aimed to explore potential associations between serum taurine concentration and gut microbiota composition in clinically healthy Golden Retrievers, a breed predisposed to taurine deficiency-associated dilated cardiomyopathy. Eleven adult dogs, which were fed the same extruded commercial diet and living in the same kennel, underwent a nutritional evaluation, fecal analysis, and measurement of serum concentrations of taurine, folates, and vitamin B12. Taurine levels were below reference values in eight out of eleven dogs, and 50% of the tested dogs showed reduced serum folate. Microbiota analysis based on 16S rRNA sequencing revealed subtle compositional shifts in dogs with lower taurine levels, including a depletion of mucus-associated Deferribacterota and an enrichment of bile-sensitive taxa such as Lactobacillus and Streptococcus. While alpha and beta diversity metrics did not differ significantly between groups, unweighted UniFrac indicated a trend toward separation. These findings suggest that hypotaurinemia in Golden Retrievers may be associated with specific alterations in the gut microbiota, potentially reflecting subclinical dysbiosis. Further studies integrating metabolomic profiling are needed to clarify the functional implications of these microbial changes on taurine metabolism.
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci12121120 PMCID: PMC12737569 PMID: 41472100
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Abstract (verbatim excerpt):
JOURNAL:Vet Sci 2025
- Vet Sci. 2025 Nov 26;12(12):1120. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12121120.
Preliminary Analysis of Intestinal Microbiota in Golden Retrievers Prone to Dilated Cardiomyopathy Due to Taur
PMID:42110576 — Dilated Cardiomyopathy Phenotype With Global (Four-Chamber) Involvement in a Cat: Echocardiographic, Pathological, Histopathological, and Immunohistochemical Findings.
- Source: Case Rep Vet Med 2026
- Case Rep Vet Med. 2026 May 7;2026:9572640. doi: 10.1155/crve/9572640.
eCollection 2026.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy Phenotype With Global (Four-Chamber) Involvement in a Cat: Echocardiographic, Pathological, Histopathological, and Immunohistochemical Findings.
Romito G(1), Costa A(1), Morini M(1).
Author information: (1)Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Italy.
An 8-year-old castrated male Exotic Shorthair cat was referred due to the onset of abdominal effusion. Echocardiography revealed a dilated cardiomyopathy phenotype affecting both ventricles, associated with biatrial dilatation, left atrial dysfunction with spontaneous echocontrast, and right-sided congestive heart failure. Additional diagnostic tests (thoracic radiographs, complete blood cell count, serum biochemistry, assessment of thyroid status, cardiac troponin I and plasma taurine concentrations, and urinalysis) ruled out secondary conditions able to cause a similar echocardiographic phenotype. Despite prompt initiation of cardiac therapy (furosemide, pimobendan, clopidogrel, and rivaroxaban) and subsequent hospitalization for further medical support, the cat's clinical condition deteriorated, ultimately leading to euthanasia. Postmortem examination revealed extensive areas of myofiber thinning with a wavy appearance in both ventricles, closely resembling the attenuated wavy fiber pattern described in dogs affected by dilated cardiomyopathy. Additionally, multifocal replacement of myofibers by adipose tissue was found in both atria. Immunohistochemical analysis showed abnormal expression patterns of desmin, vimentin, and connexin 43, similar to those previously reported in humans and dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy. Given the thorough antemortem and postmortem investigations and the associated findings, a rare case of feline dilated cardiomyopathy with biventricular and biatrial involvement was diagnosed.
Copyright © 2026 Giovanni Romito et al. Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
DOI: 10.1155/crve/9572640 PMCID: PMC13150973 PMID: 42110576
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Abstract (verbatim excerpt):
JOURNAL:Case Rep Vet Med 2026
- Case Rep Vet Med. 2026 May 7;2026:9572640. doi: 10.1155/crve/9572640.
eCollection 2026.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy Phenotype With Global (Four-Chamber) Involvement in a
PMID:40941272 — Determination of Retinol, Cholecalciferol, α-Tocopherol and Phylloquinone Levels in Dogs with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Preliminary Study.
- Source: Animals (Basel) 2025
- Animals (Basel). 2025 Aug 23;15(17):2477. doi: 10.3390/ani15172477.
Determination of Retinol, Cholecalciferol, α-Tocopherol and Phylloquinone Levels in Dogs with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Preliminary Study.
Bilgiç B(1), Işık M(2), Bakır A(3), Ekin S(3), Kozat S(2), Pugliese M(4), Or ME(1).
Author information: (1)Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Istanbul, Turkey. (2)Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, 65100 Van, Turkey. (3)Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, 65080 Van, Turkey. (4)Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy.
Lipid-soluble vitamins are essential micronutrients that play a vital role in processes such as growth, reproduction, immune regulation, antioxidant defense, anti-inflammatory response and cardiovascular health. This study aimed to evaluate the plasma levels of retinol, cholecalciferol, α-tocopherol and phylloquinone in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Six dogs diagnosed with DCM and ten healthy control dogs were selected based on clinical, echocardiographic, electrocardiographic and radiographic examinations. Chromatographic analysis was performed to analyze the content of lipid-soluble vitamins. The mean plasma retinol levels were 0.0285 μg/mL and 0.0495 μg/mL in the DCM and control groups, respectively, and the mean cholecalciferol levels were 0.0739 μg/mL and 0.1045 μg/mL in the DCM and control groups, respectively. Retinol and cholecalciferol levels were both statistically lower in the DCM group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The mean plasma α-tocopherol levels were 0.3103 and 0.4322 μg/mL, and the mean plasma phylloquinone levels were 0.03780 and 0.04082 μg/mL in the DCM and control groups, respectively. However, no statistical significance was observed between the two groups for α-tocopherol or phylloquinone levels. Based on our findings, alterations in vitamin A and D metabolism could be associated with the development of idiopathic DCM in dogs. However, given the limited sample size, further investigation in larger populations is needed.
DOI: 10.3390/ani15172477 PMCID: PMC12427420 PMID: 40941272
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Abstract (verbatim excerpt):
JOURNAL:Animals (Basel) 2025
- Animals (Basel). 2025 Aug 23;15(17):2477. doi: 10.3390/ani15172477.
Determination of Retinol, Cholecalciferol, α-Tocopherol and Phylloquinone Levels in Dogs with Dil
PMID:41689959 — Prevalence and description of dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy eating hydrolyzed protein diets.
- Source: J Am Vet Med Assoc 2026
- J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2026 Feb 13;264(7):867-874. doi: 10.2460/javma.25.11.0756.
Print 2026 Jul 1.
Prevalence and description of dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy eating hydrolyzed protein diets.
Whelchel BD, Rush JE, Ma Y, Freeman LM.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the signalment of dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) eating hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed protein diets, and to characterize clinical data and echocardiographic indices of dogs with DCM eating hydrolyzed protein diets. METHODS: Medical records of dogs diagnosed with DCM between May 2018 and October 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data were compared between dogs eating hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed protein diets. For the latter group, presence of arrhythmias or congestive heart failure, whether diet was changed, and echocardiographic measurements were recorded. RESULTS: From 2,222 dogs diagnosed with DCM, 2,105 dogs met the study's inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight of 2,105 dogs (1.3%) were eating hydrolyzed protein diets. The most common breeds were pit bull-type breed (n = 6), English Bulldog (4), and Doberman Pinscher (4). Seventeen of 28 dogs (60.7%) had arrhythmias, and 17 of 28 dogs (60.7%) had congestive heart failure. There were no significant differences in age, sex, or body weight between the 2 diet groups. Five of 28 dogs eating hydrolyzed protein diets had follow-up echocardiograms and changed diet. In these 5 dogs, there was a significant reduction in left atrial-to-aortic ratio (from median 1.24 to 1.09; effect size, 0.64) and normalized left ventricular internal dimension at end systole (from median 1.41 to 1.25; effect size, 0.64) at the follow-up examination. CONCLUSIONS: In a large population of dogs with DCM, 1.3% were eating hydrolyzed protein diets prior to diagnosis; only a small number had follow-up echocardiograms. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The role of hydrolyzed protein diets in DCM is unclear but warrants further investigation.
DOI: 10.2460/javma.25.11.0756 PMID: 41689959 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
- Abstract (verbatim excerpt):
JOURNAL:J Am Vet Med Assoc 2026
- J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2026 Feb 13;264(7):867-874. doi: 10.2460/javma.25.11.0756.
Print 2026 Jul 1.
Prevalence and description of dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy ea
PMID:41817417 — Diet-induced cardiac dysfunction and impaired cognitive performance in Beagles.
- Source: Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2026
- Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2026 Apr 1;330(4):R416-R427. doi:
10.1152/ajpregu.00238.2025. Epub 2026 Mar 12.
Diet-induced cardiac dysfunction and impaired cognitive performance in Beagles.
Bokshowan E(1), Luchkanych AMS(1), Costa MO(2)(3), Olver TD(1), Weber LP(1).
Author information: (1)Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. (2)Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. (3)Population Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Diet-induced dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs has been linked to grain-free, pea-containing diets, possibly due to increased oligosaccharides. Since cross-sectional human studies indicate that heart failure is associated with decreased cerebral blood flow and cognitive decline, we explored whether a similar association could be detected in dogs. This study tested whether diet-induced cardiac impairment coincides with a lower index of cerebral blood flow and cognitive decline in dogs. Eight adult Beagles were fed four diets for 5 wk each. A commercial dental diet was fed prestudy as a husbandry diet, followed by three test diets fed in a randomized crossover design: a grain-based diet formulated with rice flour (GB), a grain-based diet with rice flour and 1% of the oligosaccharide raffinose (GB-O), and a grain-free diet containing pea flour (GF). Cardiac function and brain blood flow were assessed using ultrasound, and cognitive function using a sand maze test. Ejection fraction was lower, and left ventricular end-systolic volume was greater in dogs fed the GF and husbandry diets compared to the GB and GB-O diets. End-diastolic velocity and conductance index were greater in basilar cerebral arteries, whereas resistive index was lower in dogs fed GF and husbandry diets. Sand maze retrieval times were slower for GF and husbandry diet-fed dogs compared with the GB-O diet. Thus, reduced ejection fraction was associated with lower cerebral vascular tone and cognitive function in dogs fed GF and husbandry diets. This study is suggestive of a novel link between diet, cardiac function, and cognition in dogs.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study is the first to investigate the heart-brain connection in dogs, revealing parallel emergence of subclinical cardiac dysfunction and reduced cognitive performance under certain dietary conditions in Beagles. Additionally, transcranial Doppler ultrasound identified a reduction in the index of cerebrovascular tone, potentially reflecting a compensatory response to early cardiac dysfunction. These findings provide a basis for further exploration of how diet, cardiac function and cognition may influence one another in dogs.
DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00238.2025 PMID: 41817417 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
- Abstract (verbatim excerpt):
JOURNAL:Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2026
- Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2026 Apr 1;330(4):R416-R427. doi:
10.1152/ajpregu.00238.2025. Epub 2026 Mar 12.
Diet-induced cardiac d