Quick Dips

Diets that Kill

Pet owners should be wary of feeding their dogs diets made up exclusively of dog roll, a Massey University veterinarian says.

University senior lecturer Grant Guilford says many dog rolls for sale in New Zealand do not provide a complete and balanced diet.

He is aware of 20 cases throughout New Zealand in the past year where dogs fed exclusively dog roll have suffered from a Vitamin B1 deficiency, otherwise known as thiamine deficiency. The dogs were beyond help in about one quarter of the cases and eventually died.

Guilford says the identified cases are only the tip of the iceberg and there will be many subclinical cases which are not severe enough to be brought to the attention of veterinarians.

The deficiency initially shows up as lethargy, decreased appetite and, in some dogs, vomiting, scavenging and the eating of faeces. "But dogs can later become uncoordinated, physically weak, and some eventually seizure and die."

Initial signs can show up within the first month of feeding a thiamine deficient diet with other symptoms developing during the following months.

Guilford says the problem is widespread. "We have seen it with numerous brands of pet roll except for Champ and Pedigree Pal rolls which are tested and shown to have adequate B1 levels by feeding trials.

"Massey veterinarians and others have discussed the problem with the companies involved but are still seeing cases of thiamine deficiency resulting from dog-roll-exclusive diets. They've had a chance to remedy the problem but, as yet, whatever action has been taken has not been effective.

"To be fair, most pet rolls are not advertised as complete diets but are assumed to be so by most members of the public."

Guilford says owners can safely feed untested rolls but only as a supplement to their pet's diet, making up no more than 30% of its daily intake. He says dry food is a good base for a dog's diet because most are complete diets. They are also usually the best value for money pet food in the supermarket because they contain only 10% water. Rolls are often more than 50% water.

Vitamin B1 deficiency is also a problem in some mince-based homemade diets. The canned pet foods sold in New Zealand are usually complete diets but are a relatively expensive way to feed.

Thiamine deficiency occurs in cats but the incidence in New Zealand is low because fewer cats receive untested diets like pet rolls.