Beyond the Blood: Why DCM Diagnosis Requires a Deeper Look

The Pet Industry Podcast

In this episode of the Pet Industry Podcast, your host, Dr. Megan Sprinkle, and the BSM Partners' research team explore the debate over grain-free dog food and potential links to dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM in dogs. They delve into the research done by BSM Partners and co-author, board-certified veterinary cardiologist, Dr. Stacey Leach regarding where in the body to measure two important heart nutrients: taurine and carnitine. Different places in the body where these nutrients can be measured include blood plasma, whole blood, and skeletal and heart muscle.

The researchers find that there is no correlation between concentrations of taurine or carnitine in blood compared to what's happening in the heart. Therefore, measuring blood levels of carnitine and taurine is not an adequate indication of heart health.

In this episode, you will also discover what is common in this heart condition in people as you hear from a human cardiologist.

The BSM Research team includes:

• Stephanie Clark, PhD, CVT, PAS, CFS, Dpl. ACAS, VTS (Nutrition)
• Sydney McCauley, PhD, PAS, Dpl. ACAS
• Brad Quest, DVM
• Renee Streeter, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Resources:

• Learn more about BSM Partners on our website.
• Learn more about the BSM Partners research.
• Episode on research on digestibility of grain-inclusive and grain-free diets.
• Episode to learn more about Dr. Leach's role in the research.
• Learn more about our guest cardiologist, Dr. Niteesh Chitturu.

Show Notes:

00:00 Introduction to the Pet Industry Podcast

00:12 The Controversy Surrounding Grain-Free Dog Food

00:35 The Importance of Scientific Studies in Pet Nutrition

01:00 Exploring the Link Between Diet and Heart Disease in Dogs

01:36 The Role of Blood and Plasma in Veterinary Diagnostics

01:49 Introducing the BSM Research Team and Their Study

01:53 The Limitations of Blood Tests in Diagnosing Heart Conditions

02:51 The Role of Diet in Human Cardiology

04:13 The Impact of Obesity on Heart Health

04:48 The Genetic Link to Dilated Cardiomyopathy

06:11 The Role of Nutrition in Heart Health

08:37 The Challenges of Measuring Nutrient Levels in the Body

09:05 The BSM Research Team's Approach to Studying Diet and Heart Disease

09:10 The Importance of Taurine and Carnitine in Canine Nutrition

11:17 The Challenges of Conducting Research in Veterinary Medicine

24:50 The Importance of Proper Sample Size in Research

27:34 Understanding Correlation in Research Studies

28:01 Understanding Correlation Plots

28:01 Pearson's Correlation Coefficient Explained

28:01 Correlation vs Causation: A Fun Example

28:37 Comparing Whole Blood and Plasma

28:47 Findings of the Study

29:19 Implications of the Findings

31:23 The One Health Approach

38:35 The Role of Pet Insurance

38:35 Key Takeaways from the Research

40:42 The Importance of Nutrition for Pets