Neither grain nor grain-free dog food is universally better — the FDA has not found that grain-free diets are inherently unsafe, but it continues to study a possible link between some of them and canine heart disease.
The grain-free label tells you what a bag does not contain, not what is inside it instead. That distinction matters more than most dog owners realize, because when manufacturers pull out corn, wheat, and rice, they usually add peas, lentils, chickpeas, or potatoes to hold the kibble together and supply bulk.
The FDA has spent years investigating whether those replacement ingredients play a role in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a heart condition that weakens the heart muscle. Here is what the agency actually found, what it means for your dog, and how to pick a bag with confidence.
What the FDA Found About Grain-Free Diets and DCM
The FDA announced its investigation into certain diets and canine DCM in July 2018, and the pattern it flagged was specific: many reported cases involved dogs eating grain-free food, often with pulses or potatoes as major ingredients.
The agency defined grain-free as food containing none of the common grains — corn, soy, wheat, rice, barley, and the rest. In reported cases, the ingredients that kept surfacing were peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans, and potatoes, including sweet potatoes, especially when they appeared among the first 10 ingredients on the label.
The reports came from dogs of many breeds, including breeds with no genetic predisposition to DCM — which is part of why the agency kept looking.
The FDA has been careful about one point: these reports do not prove that grain-free diets cause DCM. They show an association worth investigating, not a confirmed cause.
Is Grain-Free Food Actually Unsafe?
The FDA says it has no definitive information showing these diets are inherently unsafe or that they need to be pulled from the market — and it has also seen DCM cases in dogs eating grain-containing food.
That last detail is the one most headlines skip. If grain-free food were the single culprit, you would not expect to find cases in dogs on standard grain-based kibble. The FDA’s summary states plainly that reported non-hereditary DCM cases have involved both grain-free and grain-containing diets.
In December 2022, the agency said it would stop routine public updates on the investigation unless meaningful new science emerged. That is not a clean bill of health for grain-free food, and it is not a recall of it either. It is an open question.
What you can act on right now is the practical middle ground, and it starts with the label.
| What You See on the Label | What It Actually Tells You | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| “Grain-Free” | No corn, soy, wheat, rice, or barley | Check what replaced the grains |
| Peas or lentils in first 10 ingredients | These were common in FDA-reported diets | Consider a different formula |
| Chickpeas, beans, or potatoes near the top | Same pattern the FDA highlighted | Look at grain-based options too |
| “Complete and Balanced” statement | Meets a recognized nutrient profile | The most useful line on the bag |
| AAFCO feeding trial claim | The diet was tested on real dogs | Stronger than formulation alone |
| Grain listed early | Standard formulation, no flagged pattern | A reasonable default |
| Breed with no DCM history | Reports still included such dogs | Diet choice still matters |
How to Choose Between Grain and Grain-Free
The more useful question is not whether a food has grain, but whether it is complete and balanced and whether it matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged. The agency’s own materials point owners toward that framing rather than toward the grain-free label itself.
A few things to check, in order, on any bag you pick up:
- Find the “complete and balanced” statement. This is the single most important line on the package. It means the food meets a recognized nutrient profile for your dog’s life stage.
- Look for a feeding trial claim. Some foods are formulated on paper to meet nutrient targets; others are tested by feeding them to real dogs. The second is stronger evidence.
- Scan the first 10 ingredients. If peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans, or potatoes dominate that list, you are looking at the exact pattern the FDA highlighted in its reports.
- Skip the assumption that grain-free means premium. Removing grains does not automatically improve quality, and it does not automatically make a food worse either. It changes the recipe, and the new recipe is what matters.
If you want a shorter path, our tested roundup of dog food with grain covers formulas that keep grains in the recipe and meet the complete-and-balanced standard.
Talk to your veterinarian before switching diets, especially if your dog is a breed with known DCM risk, has a heart murmur, or is already showing low energy or exercise intolerance. A vet can weigh your dog’s individual history against the FDA’s findings far better than a label can.
The FDA’s questions and answers on non-hereditary DCM lays out the agency’s current position in full, including the point that it has not established cause and effect.
FAQs
Did the FDA say grain-free food is dangerous?
No. The FDA has stated it has no definitive information showing these diets are inherently unsafe or that they should be removed from the market. It investigated a possible connection to canine heart disease, found an association in reported cases, and has not established that the diets cause the condition.
Why did peas and lentils come up so often in the reports?
When grains come out of a recipe, pulses and potatoes usually go in to replace them. The FDA highlighted peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans, and potatoes — especially when listed among the first 10 ingredients — as common in the diets it reviewed.
Should I switch my dog off grain-free food?
That depends on your dog. The FDA has seen DCM cases in both grain-free and grain-containing diets, so the label alone does not settle it. Ask your veterinarian, particularly if your dog is a breed with known heart risk or shows symptoms like fatigue or exercise intolerance.
References & Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Questions & Answers: FDA’s Work on Potential Causes of Non-Hereditary DCM in Dogs” States the agency’s position that it has no definitive information showing these diets are inherently unsafe.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Provides Update on Investigation into Potential Connection Between Certain Diets and Cases of Canine Heart Disease” Supports the finding that about 90% of single-diet DCM reports involved grain-free food and that peas and lentils were common ingredients.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “FDA Investigation into Potential Link Between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy” Provides the July 2018 investigation timeline, the December 2022 update pause, the grain-free definition, and the list of highlighted ingredients.