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" Spring is the season for fresh peas, straight from the garden or farmer’s market. Keeping in mind that fruits and vegetables are not necessary to a dog’s diet and should be thought of as an occasional treat, peas are not toxic or poisonous to dogs. Peas are often ingredients in commercial dog food, though there is ongoing research about the role they may or may not play in contributing to heart disease in dogs....."

" In 2018, veterinarians noticed that an increasing number of dogs were showing signs of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This condition occurs when the heart muscles weaken and can’t pump blood as effectively throughout the dog’s body. These dogs didn’t belong to breeds known to be at risk for DCM, but they did seem to have one thing in common—they were eating either grain-free diets or “boutique” diets, often with unusual, grain-free, or legume-rich ingredient lists....."

 "In July 2018, the FDA announced that it had begun investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as "grain-free," which contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms (whole, flour, protein, etc.) as main ingredients (listed within the first 10 ingredients in the ingredient list, before vitamins and minerals). Many of these case reports included breeds of dogs not previously known to have a genetic predisposition to the disease...."  

 "Dr. Steven M. Solomon, director of the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, told attendees of a scientific forum in September 2020 that the disease accounts for more than half of the adverse event reports related to cardiac conditions, according to a written version of his opening remarks. The disease, which has emerged in animals often without known genetic predisposition, has presented a “scientifically complex, multifaceted issue,” but he noted that data from those cases have shown associations between the disease and grain-free foods, particularly those high in peas, lentils, or both...."

" Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart muscle that affects both humans and dogs. Certain canine diets have been associated with DCM, but the diet-disease link is unexplained, and novel methods are needed to elucidate mechanisms. We conducted metabolomic profiling of 9 diets associated with canine DCM, containing ≥ 3 pulses, potatoes, or sweet potatoes as main ingredients, and in the top 16 dog diet brands most frequently associated with canine DCM cases reported to the FDA (3P/FDA diets), and 9 non-3P/FDA diets...."